Thinking of Studying Medicine in Europe? Here Are Some Options
- Andre Santos
- Feb 29, 2020
- 4 min read
Medicine is a very difficult course for anyone studying it, so it is important to choose the best place that fits you to begin your medical career. Some people might choose to stay in Brazil and enroll in universities through the vestibular, while others aim at studying medicine abroad in places such as in the US and Europe. Europe has seen a very good option to study medicine, as it has a high quality of life, excellent, state-of-the-art universities and medical institutions, and low tuition fees. Additionally, medical diplomas acquired in a university inside the European Union has extensive recognition from other countries and is valid in most EU nations, providing several opportunities and places for students to work in after graduating. Below are some options on where to study medicine in Europe:
France
The process to enter med school in France works differently from most other countries in Europe. To enroll, you must first apply - using your highschool grades - to a university that offers a course called PACES. This is the first year of medicine, where you will learn the basics of biology, anatomy, medicine, and chemistry, and it is relatively easy to get accepted into. However, at the end of the year, students must take a test on the content they learned throughout the year, and the score acquired will determine if they will enter the second stage of medical study, the DFGSM2, and DFGSM3. This is very competitive and is where most people struggle to get into med school in France. Tuition costs are not elevated in French med schools, especially if a student posses European citizenship One pre-requirement to studying medicine is that students must start their first year, the PACES, already speaking French fluently, as all classes and tests from there onward will be in the language.
Some medical universities in France:
Sorbonne Université;
Faculté de Médicine de Strasbourg;
Universtié de Lyon;
Netherlands
For foreign students who seek medicine in the Netherlands, the best option is to acquire a pre-med degree in a Liberal Arts & Sciences college and then enroll in a medical masters course. A pre-med major lasts 3 years, and entrance is based on high school grade transcripts, a motivational letter - the Dutch counterpart of a personal essay - and a candidate’s curriculum. Students begin applying to college through the Studielink platform, and after colleges analyze their application and deem them acceptable, they schedule an interview with the student to finalize the process. After pre-med, students may apply to a medical masters where they will conclude their medical studies; entrance is very competitive and is based on college grades and admissions exam scores. The pre-med courses are taught entirely in English; however, during these 3 initial years, students must learn dutch, as the medical masters and contact with patients will occur in the language. Tuition costs are not high and become even cheaper if a student posses a European Union citizenship.
Some medical universities in the Netherlands:
Erasmus University Rotterdam;
University of Amsterdam;
Utrecht University;
Italy
Medicine in Italy functions very similarly to how it does in Brazil. To enroll in a university, you must first have completed 12 years of school education and have a high school diploma accepted by the university - many diplomas are accepted, including the IB. After this, the entire evaluation of candidates is based on the score acquired in an admissions test, which is on scientific and English knowledge. For most universities, this test is the IMAT, but some colleges opt to have their own exams, such as Humanitas University with the HUMAT test. Additionally, classes for the first three years of medicine in Italy are taught in English, and the last three being in Italian, which gives sufficient time for international students to learn the local language.
Some medical universities in Italy:
Sapienza University of Rome;
Humanitas University;
Universita di Milano;
Spain
In Spain, students can study medicine in private or public universities, the latter being considered the best. Entrance to these universities depends on two criteria: grades from high school and the score acquired at an admissions test, which may vary depending on the institution. In some universities, the aptitude test PAP is also required to enroll in medicine. Students with high school degrees that do not meet the entrance requirements may have to take other admissions tests, such as the PAU and the EBAU. Medical studies in Spain usually last six years - apart from specialization/residency - and although students must learn Spanish or Catalan, courses are partially taught in English.
Some medical universities in Spain:
University of Barcelona;
Autonomous University of Madrid;
University of Valencia;
United Kingdom
Entering a medical university in the UK, due to their status and quality, is very competitive and difficult. Admission is based on school grade transcripts, personal statements, and other scores, such as IB predicted. Universities also require a medicine aptitude exam - some will ask for the UCAT while others for the BMAT test - which is also taken into consideration during admissions. The medical course lasts for 6 years, after which specialization/residency can be pursued. Due to the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union, the validation of a UK medical diploma into other countries in Europe is still uncertain and will likely become harder after the transition period ends in 2021. Med school tuition expenses are usually much higher than in other European countries, with costs for non-British students nor ones that live in the EU - just having an EU passport does not qualify you as a European citizen for UK universities - being as high as 40 000 £ per year.
Some medical universities in the United Kingdom:
University College of London;
University of Edinburgh;
Queen Mary University;
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