Studying medicine in Germany or doing MBBS in Germany is a dream of many international students because there are no tuition fees in Germany for doing MBBS.
• A degree course in Medicine takes six years and three months and is completed by a state exam (Staatsexamen), which is the precondition to obtaining a license to practice (Approbation).
• Medical education is provided in the German language only.
Stage 1: Studienkolleg (a one-year preparatory course or M-course)
Stage 2: Pre Clinical phase: Two years (4 semesters)
Stage3: Main phase of the study: 3 years (6 semesters)
Stage 4: Practical year: 1 year
Stage 5: state examinations (Approbation exam)
What is meant by a Studienkolleg?
The Studienkollegs function as a “bridge” to help you move from the academic culture of your home country to German academic culture. They offer targeted preparation courses for foreign applicants. The Studienkolleg teachers, your “bridge builders”, are highly qualified and specialized experts who will work with you.
This simply means if you do not hold a valid qualification or required one for Germany university admission for a bachelor’s degree level, then you have to study in a Studienkolleg first to fill in the gap of university needs.
In Germany, the high school education consists of 13 years in total, which is as follows:
1. German preschool/nursery (Kindergarten)
2. German primary school (Grundschule)
3. The secondary school in Germany: This third type and final schooling are divided into more following parts,
• Gymnasium – for academic students;
• Realschule – for intermediary students;
• Hauptschule – for less academic students; • Gesamtschule – a comprehensive school combining all education types;
So this simply means German students get into a bachelor’s degree after completing 13 years of high schooling. The same is true for those international students who want to get an education in German universities; they must hold a qualification and high schooling of 13 years. This problem, often face the students of India where high schooling is for 12 years only.
Completing a one-year foundation course in Studienkolleg, one can easily get into a bachelor’s degree.
If you have a high school qualification of 12 years, you will have to study in a Studienkolleg in Germany.
Aufnahmeprüfung:
Many students seem to be confused when willing to know the admission process in a Studienkolleg in Germany. Applicants who wish to attend the Studienkolleg must prove in an entrance examination that their German language skills are sufficient, that they can successfully participate in the Studienkolleg class, and that they have sufficient basic knowledge of mathematics. The entrance exam for the summer semester takes place in January or February. The entrance exam for the winter semester takes place in July. It can be repeated twice (however it can vary for all Studienkollegs).
Don’t forget that some Studienkollegs only require a German language test. Though all Studienkollegs have different types of entry tests the majority follow the following pattern:
Entrance exam German (the exam lasts 60-90 minutes)
It consists of reading comprehension tasks, language structures, and possibly text production. The exam should demonstrate good intermediate level knowledge (level B1 (for majority Studienkollegs it is B2) according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages – Independent Language Use) in German. It clearly means you must learn the German language in your country of origin before reaching Germany. Many countries have German learning institutions and online portals also provide you a lot of study materials for preparation. This knowledge can be acquired in about 600-800 hours of intensive instruction. Please do note that tablets, mobiles, dictionaries, and answer books are not allowed during the exam.
Following reading are recommended for good preparation:
Here is an important point to remember that every Studienkolleg has its own requirements, so you must check for your desired Studienkolleg before applying for admission.
The last step in completing your medical degree in Germany is to pass the State Examination, a nationally standardized examination. After taking and passing the
examination, you can apply for your medical license (Approbation) and begin working as a certified doctor.
Later on, you might decide to continue your education to become a medical specialist, which, depending on what subject you specialize in, can take another five to six years. The advanced training program for this concludes with a specialist examination.