If you want to study human medicine in Germany, you either need a top school leaving certificate or a lot of patience to complete the waiting semester. A university place lawsuit is not only expensive, but also rarely promising. If you don’t want to give up your dream of becoming a doctor, you should take a look at the English-language courses in human medicine at universities in the Czech Republic. What is special about the study system there: For admission, it is not the Abitur grade that is decisive, but the passing of an entrance examination.
According to 800zipcodes, English-language courses in human medicine have existed in the Czech Republic since the early 1990s, shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain. They are now an integral part of the Czech university landscape. The high level of practical experience, the small study groups, the close contact with the lecturers and the high academic quality overall offer optimal study conditions and a good alternative to studying medicine in Germany.
We currently have four partner universities in the Czech Republic that offer English-language courses in human medicine for international students and can offer support in the application process. The human medicine courses there are accredited and recognized in the EU, the USA and many other countries.
Application and admission requirements
Even if the hurdles are not as high as in Germany, applicants for a degree in human medicine in the Czech Republic still have to meet certain requirements. Without a high school diploma, you cannot study medicine there either. But, and this is the decisive factor, there is no numerus clausus at Czech universities. Admission to a degree program takes place via an entrance examination, for which one can prepare in a targeted manner. This is also the case for courses in human medicine.
The start of studies in human medicine at universities in the Czech Republic is only possible in the winter semester (September / October) of the academic year. Interested parties can submit their application from spring, as soon as the respective universities have updated the application documents. The application deadline is usually one week before the exam date.
Since the course takes place entirely in English, you should of course have a good command of English. However, the Czech universities generally do not require proof of language proficiency.
The entrance exam for studying human medicine in the Czech Republic
In the entrance exam for medical studies, you have to prove that you have a good knowledge (upper school level) in the natural sciences subjects chemistry, biology and optionally in mathematics or physics.
Each university has its own entrance examination, but also the individual medical faculties of Charles University such as the Third Faculty of Medicine in Prague and the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové. The tasks are all in English and in the form of multiple-choice questions. We usually conduct the entrance exams in cooperation with the Czech partner universities in Münster.
You shouldn’t underestimate the exams, because the content of the Czech universities is based on the British A-Levels and these are slightly higher in level than in the German upper level. It pays to prepare well for the exam, because after all you will need the requested knowledge in medical studies at the latest.
Some universities in the Czech Republic require an oral exam or an interview after successfully passing the written entrance exam. The oral part is usually about the interpretation of a scientific article and / or a conversation about basic knowledge and personal motivation for studying human medicine.
If you want to study human medicine in the Czech Republic, you should definitely apply to all of the universities in question and take the respective entrance exams to increase your chances of getting a place. This is also useful because the exams are all very similar in terms of content. That means: Those who are well prepared for one exam can also master the other exams. The main differences are in the type of assessment and how strict it is. While at one university “only” 60 percent of the tasks have to be correct, the other university requires at least 50 percent correctly solved tasks in each sub-area. In this case, you have to be about equally good in all areas.
Preparation for the entrance exams to Czech universities
You should prepare yourself very thoroughly for the entrance exams and work through and repeat your upper-level knowledge in the natural sciences at an early stage. You can find detailed information about the tests and the content requested on the websites of the universities. In order to be well prepared, it is also advisable to look at old exams at the respective universities and work through them.
In order to use the time up to the exams in May or June sensibly, it makes sense to complete a so-called pre – semester in medicine. Here you can acquire the knowledge relevant for studying medicine beforehand. This is not only a good preparation for the entrance exam, but also for studying human medicine itself. The Czech universities also offer preparatory crash courses, both on-site and in the form of online courses.
