Help! Applying to study medicine in Germany

[mez1234]

About me: US citizen, German citizen, and Swiss Citizen. Finishing High School this June in California with a desire to study medicine in Germany.

I tried my best to research the application process for regular German students but am a little unsure how to approach the application. I went to Gymnasium in Goettingen for my sophomore year as an exchange student and am nearly fluent in German and had a brief internship in a hospital in Germany during this time as well.

Should I apply as a regular German student? I would somehow have my grades and AP test scores converted to show that my US high school diploma can compete with an Abitur but am unsure how to go about this process.

Should I apply as a foreigner? I know international student spots are limited but I am afraid that I will not be able to compete with top students who have lived in Germany all their life and have gone through the schooling system.

Any advice about the process in general or how to start would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks

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[ThoracicGuy]

About me: US citizen, German citizen, and Swiss Citizen. Finishing High School this June in California with a desire to study medicine in Germany.

I tried my best to research the application process for regular German students but am a little unsure how to approach the application. I went to Gymnasium in Goettingen for my sophomore year as an exchange student and am nearly fluent in German and had a brief internship in a hospital in Germany during this time as well.

Should I apply as a regular German student? I would somehow have my grades and AP test scores converted to show that my US high school diploma can compete with an Abitur but am unsure how to go about this process.

Should I apply as a foreigner? I know international student spots are limited but I am afraid that I will not be able to compete with top students who have lived in Germany all their life and have gone through the schooling system.

Any advice about the process in general or how to start would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks

Do you wish to be a doctor in the US or in Germany when you would finish? If it is the US, then you need to go to a US college and then a US medical school. If you wish to work only in Germany or other EU countries when you finish, then try for medical school in Germany if you wish.

 

[kcehreuhcs]

If it is the US, then you need to go to a US college and then a US medical school.

No, you do not. You can even take USMLE step 1 and 2ck as a german medical student without ever setting foot on U.S. soil...

I really know nothing about the application process for foreigners at german medical schools, but I imagine it to be rather simple and frankly enough, I don't think it should be too much of a problem to get into one. As a a foreigner, I believe you only compete with other foreigners for a certain quota (maybe 2-4%? How would I know...). But this is good news, really, because the competition among german students is insane (1.0 being the best, 4.0 being the worst, _they_ _all_ _score_ _1.0._ nowadays).

 

[ThoracicGuy]

No, you do not. You can even take USMLE step 1 and 2ck as a german medical student without ever setting foot on U.S. soil...

I really know nothing about the application process for foreigners at german medical schools, but I imagine it to be rather simple and frankly enough, I don't think it should be too much of a problem to get into one. As a a foreigner, I believe you only compete with other foreigners for a certain quota (maybe 2-4%? How would I know...). But this is good news, really, because the competition among german students is insane (1.0 being the best, 4.0 being the worst, _they_ _all_ _score_ _1.0._ nowadays).

Of course you can become a US doctor from foreign medical schools, but it is much harder to get to a us residency from a foreign school than a US school. That is my point. It also sounds like the OP is trying to take the easy way out by trying to skip college and the MCAT...

 

[medicine_kosice]

Hello mez123,
getting to faculties of medicine in Germany is quite hard even for German studetns. There are 80% of denied applications.
System is called numerus clausus - limited availability of places for students. There are 20% of places given to best students from perspective Bundesland, 20% to students, who waited long enough (Wartezeit - but it is around 12 semesters) and 60% given to students based on various criterias (such as marks from high school, activity besides study, TMS etc). Your average mark should not be worse than 1.7. You need to take also test that you speak fluent German if you want to apply. All information can be found on website hochschulstart.de (regarding German test - page 28)
Studying medicine in English is quite normal in most of countries of EU. Depends on your budget, but starting from 5000€ in Bulgaria.
If any question, i can help!
Best, Peter

 

[rico_suave]

hi Peter (if your still around to answer questions) or anyone who can help,

I am looking into applying to medical schools in europe for next fall. i am from the Caribbean, English is my native language and i have a bachelors degree from a US school. one of my main requirements is affordability, preferably free or as close to it as i can get. Ideally i would like it to be an English course but i have no problem dedicating this year to full on cramming as much of a language into my brain to become C1 with medical language as well. i might be biting off more than i can chew with that one. is there anyone who has done that? trying to learn a language like german in a year, enough to qualify to get into a german medical school?

Anyway, if anyone can give me feedback on schools to look into and that language question i had i would be grateful. thanks!