Medical studies in Germany

During the past years I have been receiving a steady flow of inquiries regarding the options for foreigners to study “MBBS” at German universities. I am setting “MBBS” in quotation marks because Germany, like most countries outside the Commonwealth, does not know an MBBS or bachelor-level medical degree. In the US, for example, you have to complete a bachelor degree first (usually in the natural sciences) before you are eligible to join medical school, which awards you an advanced degree.

Germany and, for that matter, the other countries of continental Europe have their own traditions of medical education. Most of them have never introduced the bachelor / master pattern for medical studies and are not planning to do so in the near future. Few countries – for understandable reasons – want to leave the training of future doctors in the hands of university committees or local examiners. Centralised state exams and country-wide approbation procedures for medical practitioners are, therefore, the rule.

There are no bachelor or master degrees for applied medicine in Germany; however, there is a medical doctorate. In contrast to some other countries (like the US), students in Germany can join medical school directly after finishing their senior high school (i.e. after 12, previously 13 years) – assuming their excellent marks make them eligible. Applicants from outside the EU usually have to attend a one-year "bridge course" (so-called “M-Kurs”), which is offered by selected universities to close the gap between the German senior high school certificate ("Abitur") and the school-leaving certificates of other countries.

Medical training in Germany takes a minimum of six years, including two pre-clinical, three clinical and one practice year as an assistant doctor. The good news is: There is a quota for international medical students at German universities (roughly 8 percent of all seats) and fees are not higher than for other subjects. So, medical studies in Germany are quite affordable compared to most other countries. The bad news is: Medical education is fully taught in German language.

So, before anybody starts thinking about studying medicine in Germany, the first question should be whether she or he is willing to invest considerable time and energy into learning this not-too-easy language. Many have done it, and the rewards are considerable. The standard of medical education in Germany is high (just like that of medical technology), and German-trained doctors are welcome wherever they go. Apart from that, German medical degrees have also been among the first to be recognised in India. For those wanting to stay on after their studies, ample opportunities are waiting. Germany has a rapidly aging population, and some parts of the country are already experiencing a shortage of young doctors.

Chris

germanstudycentre@gmail.com

Indian students still a tiny minority

Roughly 5,000 Indian nationals are presently studying at German universities. What may sound a lot, is actually very little. The numbers of students from other take-off countries like China, Russia and Turkey are in the five-digit range. Considering the fact that Indians make up a meager 2 percent of Germany's international student population of approximately 250,000, Stefan Weckbach, German Consul-General in Chennai, sounds overly optimistic when he told the Indian daily "The Hindu" that "Germany is a sought-after destination for higher learning" in India. In this context it has to be said that the German consular representations in India have often not been very encouraging, to put it mildly, in their dealings with study applicants from the subcontinent. No wonder then that many promising candidates, supported by their English fluency, have looked for greener pastures elsewhere...

From other parts of the world, students continue to flock in steadily growing numbers to Europe's economic powerhouse. Up till now, Germany has withstood the European debt crisis quite well, which is reflected in strong domestic demand and a buoyant job market. Many academics in India, who - for understandable reasons - have traditionally been oriented towards the English-speaking world, will probably be surprised to hear that Germany has the most internationalised student population of all countries. According to Prashasti Rastogi, DAAD representative in New Delhi, 12 percent of all students at German universities are foreign nationals. Whether India can keep up with its main competitors in the developing world like China and Brazil will also depend on the country's ability to better tap Germany's high-tech potential in the future and to send more of the best students there for an advanced research-oriented education.

Chris
germanstudycentre@gmail.com