Any good medical schools in Germany

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Dhimiter

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Hi everyone!

My hopes for attending medical school in Switzerland are thin, so I have started looking at Germany. I am not fluent in German, but I hope to be in a year from now or so. Anyway, I know that all state schools have to maintain a standard level of studies, so I don't think any schools will be more difficult than others. However, the professors and study conditions are not always the same. Does anyone have any recommendations on which Universities I should be looking at for medicine in Germany?

Thanks!
 
Hi there,
I´m studying Medicine in the 5 th year in Würzburg, Germany and in my opinion the course is very good. There are - I think about 35 - medical faculties in Germany, but just one private med school ( Witten ). The "Harvard" of German Med Schools is supposed to be Heidelberg, however a lot of things have changed in the last years especially with the introduction of the "Neue Approbationsordnung für Ärzte". The courses are much less theoretical and in many universities they have introduced POL, skills labs, Communication-courses etc. There are also "reform-courses" in a number of cities - with completely new approaches. As I have never studied anywhere else than in Würzburg, I cannot make any comparisons, I can only say that Würzburg students are always quite good in the exam rankings. Until now we did not have to pay university fees, however, this will soon change. From April 2007 on about 500 Euros per semester ( that means 1000 Euros per year ) will have to be payed. This amount might however vary from university to university and more likely from "Bundesland" to "Bundesland" - depending on the governing party. As no German Med School is teaching in English you will have to know at least some German in order to be accepted. Unfortunatly I cannot give you any information about how you could enter as a foreigner, but maybe you could ask for advice on one of the following web-sites for German medical students: "www.medi-learn.de" or "www.medizin-student.de"
Generally the course takes 6 years. The first two years are called "Vorklinik" In these 4 Semesters you have to take all the preclinical subjects like physics, chemistry and biology for physicians, makroscopic and mikroscopic anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, medical terminology, introduction into clinical Medicine, Medical Psychology and Sociology, a first aid course, an elective subject and three months of work experience in nursing ( however you can also do that before you start with the course and you don´t need to do it in Germany ). Then you have to pass a big exam called "Physikum" ( first medical exam )and after that you proceed to the clinical part, the "Klinik". The last two semesters ( 11 and 12 i.e. year six ) are called PJ ( Practical year ). In these you work in Hospital already ( 4 month Internal Medicine, 4 months Surgery and 4 Month a subject of your choice ). After the PJ you have to pass another big exam ( The 2nd medical exam ) and then you´re finished. If you want to have the title "Dr. med" you have to write a dissertation. Most students start with that in year 3 or 4, so they can carry the title as soon as they are finished.
If you require any more details about how the course is organized in Germany I will be happy to help you.
Best wishes, Vexa :luck:
 
Thanks, your answer was clear and very helpful.


Dhimiter
 
Hi everyone!

My hopes for attending medical school in Switzerland are thin, so I have started looking at Germany. I am not fluent in German, but I hope to be in a year from now or so. Anyway, I know that all state schools have to maintain a standard level of studies, so I don't think any schools will be more difficult than others. However, the professors and study conditions are not always the same. Does anyone have any recommendations on which Universities I should be looking at for medicine in Germany?

Thanks!

Good news is...you would have a more desirable certification if you stayed within the U.S. to earn your MD as well recieve the training. I hope you don't wonder off to another country and decide you want to come back...all that time and money would be wasted. Shame.
 
Hey vexa.
I as well am interested in this stuff and was wondering how well people could transition to the US if they want. I seemed to notice a lot of trouble with the german medical system (not that the us is any greater) but there seemed to be fairly low controversey. Not to mention the picture I have sitting in front of me with Angela titled "Operation gelungen, patient pleite" sitting right int front of me. I am not on the large pursuit for money or anything, and I have met italians, spanish and other eu people with low german skills taking medical sourses...somehow. My main question is really if you know anyone take the usmle's, and whether they can enter the US to practice again.

Oh...and Dhimeter.....to answer your question..there really aren't bad medicals per se in Germany. They all seemed to be fairly on par with each other. Heidelberg as said earlier has a great history behind it and was even featured in a horrible movie titled "anotomie" or something like that. The major difference compared to US schools is that the german university system doesn't have quite the resources. The classrooms are usually a bit more bare bones, you don't have ungodly amounts of computers everywhere with real high tech gyms or anything...projectors and stuff aren't always a given either...don't think it is an academic craphole....the style is just different and does take getting used to..don't know if it applies to medicine but with the classes I took in Berlin and Marburg it was like that.
 
Hi there,
I am sorry but I cannot give you much information about you could do the transition from Germany ( or more generally Europe ) to the US as I am just a common German Medical student who does not intend to work in the USA. However, you can take the USMLE and then of course you can work in the US. If you require more information please use the German Medical students sites "medi-learn.de" or "medizinstudent.de". You will find plenty of qualified advice there. The German medical system is in trouble because our high-tech medicine is just too expensive. The wages of doctors are - in comparison to our European colleagues - extremly low. The average assistant doctor earns between 9 and 11 Euros an hour and goes gome with 1200 Euros at the end of the month. And 70 hour weeks are more the rule than an exception....
This also is the reason why so many German doctors work abroad.
But the standard of medical education in Germany is excellent, we certainly have one of the best medical education systems in Europe. And they continually working on the improvement of the courses. In Würzburg we have a really well equiped "Skills lab" where you can train a lot of - even complex - medical skills. And there are enough computers for every student to work on if he or she wishes to, no one has to wait. Generally the rescources in Medicine and the Sciences are much better than in Philology, foreign languages, Philosophy and so on. However, I have to agree that some buildings are just old and not so very nice anymore because the money to refurbish and replace is not so easily granted. But that does not really interfere with the standart of teaching. Europe is different than the US, but if you were to study in Germany I´m sure you would arrange - maybe even like - our ways.
Best wishes from Germany :luck:
 
There was a longer thread on the nuts and bolts of getting into german medschools maybe 6 months to a year ago.

It can be done. You need to demonstrate equivalency of your prior education to the german high-school exit exam. This requires a minimum of a US high-school degree + 2 years of college credits. Also, in order to attend medschool you need to proove proficiency in german before you can enroll (this is different from lets say engineering where you can take the language exams 2 years in). Every medical faculty has a quota for 'non-EU foreigners' (that is anyone who didn't graduate from highschool in the EU space). This quota is somewhere in the 4-6% range Expect the competition for these spots to be fierce, the smartest kids from places like namibia and eastern europe will be competing with you.

German medical graduates rarely have issues transitioning to the US if they desire to do so. While there are no country specific statistics available from ECFMG, every year there are hundred and fifty or so who get residencies through the match or otherwise.
 
Hi there,
I am sorry but I cannot give you much information about you could do the transition from Germany ( or more generally Europe ) to the US as I am just a common German Medical student who does not intend to work in the USA. However, you can take the USMLE and then of course you can work in the US. If you require more information please use the German Medical students sites "medi-learn.de" or "medizinstudent.de". You will find plenty of qualified advice there. The German medical system is in trouble because our high-tech medicine is just too expensive. The wages of doctors are - in comparison to our European colleagues - extremly low. The average assistant doctor earns between 9 and 11 Euros an hour and goes gome with 1200 Euros at the end of the month. And 70 hour weeks are more the rule than an exception....
This also is the reason why so many German doctors work abroad.
But the standard of medical education in Germany is excellent, we certainly have one of the best medical education systems in Europe. And they continually working on the improvement of the courses. In Würzburg we have a really well equiped "Skills lab" where you can train a lot of - even complex - medical skills. And there are enough computers for every student to work on if he or she wishes to, no one has to wait. Generally the rescources in Medicine and the Sciences are much better than in Philology, foreign languages, Philosophy and so on. However, I have to agree that some buildings are just old and not so very nice anymore because the money to refurbish and replace is not so easily granted. But that does not really interfere with the standart of teaching. Europe is different than the US, but if you were to study in Germany I´m sure you would arrange - maybe even like - our ways.
Best wishes from Germany :luck:



I'd love to study over there...I'm always really happy when I'm in Germany but I just want to be ABLE to get a competitive residency in the US. I don't forsee me getting a position in England as really possible, and Im not sure I'm up to learn another language...nor stay in Germany to practice.
 
Hi there,
But the standard of medical education in Germany is excellent, we certainly have one of the best medical education systems in Europe. And they continually working on the improvement of the courses. In Würzburg we have a really well equiped "Skills lab" where you can train a lot of - even complex - medical skills. And there are enough computers for every student to work on if he or she wishes to, no one has to wait. Best wishes from Germany :luck:


That sounds nice enough for me, and I just put Germany to the place that I'd like to go to take my higher education.
Btw, now I'm having my surgical residency in Moscow and I'll finish it in next 2 years. I'd really like to have my subspeciality training, perhaps in Pediatric surgery or Cardiovascular surgery or Surgery-Oncology, in one of EU Countries and it seems so nice there in Germany.
So, Vexa, do you know about the chance for Russian Graduated Surgeon to take a Fellowship training? I still can't speak in Germany but if the chance to get there is pretty good, I'd try so hard to learn the language in this 2 years.
One more thing, even I'm having my residency in Moscow, I'm not a Russian.
I'm an Indonesian, so as soon as I finish my education ( moscow or Germany ), I'll go back to my country so it's not my motivation to live and to work in EU by having med-edu there.
I'd really appreciate for your concern to my favor.
Apologize if my english isn't so good enough.
Thx....
 
Hi there,
I am sorry, but I don´t know how to get to a fellowship training in Germany. I am sure it´s possible though, as we have ( I think I have mentioned it before ) a great shortage of doctors.
You could try using the German Forums.
Best wishes, Eva
 
Hi there,
If you require more information please use the German Medical students sites "medi-learn.de" or "medizinstudent.de". You will find plenty of qualified advice there.Best wishes from Germany :luck:


I've tried those two forums above, but unfortunately they're all in Germanese and I know nothing yet about the language. 😕
 
The websites don't have the greatest depth of knowledge for international people anyways....... You kind of have to go on each school's website....As an international student you'd apply through uni-assist. You have to have all of your transcripts and stuff translated to english or german as well, and jump through some hoops.
 
Hi,
although the topic is old, this could be interesting for someone.
I'm studying at the Charite in Berlin. Since one year they offer every year a course for 18 people, in which the teaching language is english.
However, you still need the german language, because you have to talk in german with the patients and the official exams are in german.
In his self-image, the Charite is one of the best universities in Germany, but in rankings it's in the midfield. The Charite is one of the biggest hospitals in Germany, you can do all kinds of research there. (In the research ranking this year, Charite was on top) The quality of teaching can't be that bad. A lot of students here take the USMLE exams during our study and most people I know achieved a high grade.
Furthermore we have a leftist party in the administration, so there are still no fees. If you have further questions, I'll try to answer them.
Most important for myself, Berlin is a good city for party life.
 
Furthermore we have a leftist party in the administration, so there are still no fees.

But the state is also completely broke (and as they found out the hard way today won't be bailed out by the central goverment). So I wouldn't bet too much on that staying so.
 
Can someone help me.
I'm wondering if there is a medical program in Germany that's taught in English?
I'd really appreciate the info.
 
18 people is a very very small group, does that mean the standards for joining are very high in the English program of Charite, Berlin?
 
There are NO English medical programs in Germany.

There are English MSc/PhD programs in molecular medicine at a few different institutions, but no MD programs. You are required to speak German fluently and pass a language exam to even be considered for MD programs.
 
Hi everyone!

My hopes for attending medical school in Switzerland are thin, so I have started looking at Germany. I am not fluent in German, but I hope to be in a year from now or so. Anyway, I know that all state schools have to maintain a standard level of studies, so I don't think any schools will be more difficult than others. However, the professors and study conditions are not always the same. Does anyone have any recommendations on which Universities I should be looking at for medicine in Germany?

Thanks!
Hi, Im a 5 year medical student at Bogotá-Colombia
I have heard that it's virtually impossible to be a doctor in germany when you are NOT german, is that true?
Because I also intended to do an specialization there but I got discouraged
Now I cant decide whether to choose SPAIN or USA (or germany), which one do u guys think would be better? (easyness to accept foreign graduates, high salaries)

by the way dimither
I dont understand why u being in Massachussets (I dont know whether u are already in medschool or not) wants to go Germany since, there's a lot of german doctors trying to go to USA?
 
I have heard that it's virtually impossible to be a doctor in germany when you are NOT german, is that true?

Well, unless you are a citizen, you cannot obtain a regular medical license (approbation). However, the 'practice permit' that you receive as a non-citizen gives you exactly the same priviledges as the 'approbation'.

In recent years, there has been a considerable influx of non-german physicians. However, most of them come from other places in the european union like Poland or the Czech republic. As a EU citizens, their qualifications are recognized without much of a buerocratic exercise and they don't require a work-permit. For non-EU citizens it is very difficult to find work as a physician as there is a required test (gleichwertigkeitspruefung) and tight restrictions on work permits (hospital has to proove that they haven't been able to find a german or EU citizen to take the job).

Now I cant decide whether to choose SPAIN or USA (or germany), which one do u guys think would be better? (easyness to accept foreign graduates, high salaries)

Of the three, certainly the US. It takes a lot of time and money to pass the exams and to obtain a residency position, but once you are in the door opportunities are good.
 
hai
i am from india and am gonna receive offer letter from 4 medical school in germany through a faculty professor from germany. i want the top and good medical colleges in germany so that it wil be useful....i am not sure of the names of the schools but charite-berlin is one of them...so can u say a list of colleges worth joining???
i am a B1 level language holder in german language...though i know german bit how wil it be helpful for my studies...should i read from german boks or english text books ???
wil it be difficult for me to get a parttime job while studying ???
can i know how my future in germany is going to be......plz help
 
I got accepted to a German Medical school (Universitaet Mainz) in 2003.
Medical school is difficult even in your home language, so i don't know how you could pass exams and study and pay attention to lectures if you don't speak fluent German.
I decided not to go in 2003 but i am now a Nurse Practitioner but debating whether i should try again to get accepted. My grades are probably good enough and i speak fluent German.
My main problem as a US citizen is i have a bunch of student loans and not sure if i could get them deferred. And i doubt a part time job in Germany would be enough for me to live off of, and i would probably need more student loans, which not sure if there is a way to do that.
 
hai
i am from india and am gonna receive offer letter from 4 medical school in germany through a faculty professor from germany. i want the top and good medical colleges in germany so that it wil be useful....i am not sure of the names of the schools but charite-berlin is one of them...so can u say a list of colleges worth joining???
i am a B1 level language holder in german language...though i know german bit how wil it be helpful for my studies...should i read from german boks or english text books ???
wil it be difficult for me to get a parttime job while studying ???
can i know how my future in germany is going to be......plz help

You cannot study in Germany unless you've taked the Test DaF exams and have obtained a good score on it. That's not all. Then you have to compete with the German citizens to get into one of the schools. If I were you, I would either try to master the language first before going there...or just go somewhere else (if time is an issue)
 
Then you have to compete with the German citizens to get into one of the schools.

Actually, you DON'T compete with the germans. You DO compete with all the other folks who fall into the 'Bildungsauslaender' (-->anyone who didn't finish high-school in germany or a EU member country) quota.
 
Oh I see. I'm sorry about that. I overheard a student telling me that you compete with the rest of the others....perhaps he wasn't referring to Germany.
 
Hi PAVLOV and all
i am from indonesia...i read that PAVLOV are taking general surgery recidency in russia, how? i am interested in taking general surgery too and i heard that we dont have to pay tuition fees in europe, that is really interesting!
i also interested in doing research, just still confused which degree should i take the master or the PhD?
can u give me informations, tips and tricks to study med abroad?
thank u very much 🙂
 
Well, unless you are a citizen, you cannot obtain a regular medical license (approbation). However, the 'practice permit' that you receive as a non-citizen gives you exactly the same priviledges as the 'approbation'.

In recent years, there has been a considerable influx of non-german physicians. However, most of them come from other places in the european union like Poland or the Czech republic. As a EU citizens, their qualifications are recognized without much of a buerocratic exercise and they don't require a work-permit. For non-EU citizens it is very difficult to find work as a physician as there is a required test (gleichwertigkeitspruefung) and tight restrictions on work permits (hospital has to proove that they haven't been able to find a german or EU citizen to take the job).

hi f_w.
i got Berufserlaubnis in February this year for NRW and since than i m trying to find a job as a Assistenzaerztin in some of clinics in NRW.
i m coming from Bosnia and Herzegovina and to find anyone that wants to employ me temporarely is very hard!
also meanwhile i must prepare myself for Gleichwertigkeitspruefung ...
but i have no idea how the exam looks like and where i can find more informations about that? does it exist any preparing material , some books etc what i could use in order to prepare myself for this exam as soon as it is possible????
Vielen dank im Voraus
Wahyu
 
There are English MSc/PhD programs in molecular medicine at a few different institutions, but no MD programs. You are required to speak German fluently and pass a language exam to even be considered for MD programs.
It's absolutely bizarre, but I found one upper level medical course I will take next year is conducted in English. Apparently, one needs English and German. It's most likely more a theoretical program, perhaps related to the thesis, that makes it a course that needs to be conducted in English.
 
hi,
Im mathavan(Nationality -Indian).In 2010 im gonna complete my medicine degree (M.D) in RUSSIA(Kursk - English medium).Is it possible to do internship and postgraduation in germany and also i need to work in germany . so please reply me the exact information regarding this as soon as possible.thank you
 
Hi everyone!

My hopes for attending medical school in Switzerland are thin, so I have started looking at Germany. I am not fluent in German, but I hope to be in a year from now or so. Anyway, I know that all state schools have to maintain a standard level of studies, so I don't think any schools will be more difficult than others. However, the professors and study conditions are not always the same. Does anyone have any recommendations on which Universities I should be looking at for medicine in Germany?

Thanks!

If you are interested in Europe, you might want to look at Atlantic Bridge medical schools in Ireland, the education there is in English, so you don't need to learn another language. On another note in the coming years its going to be extremely hard for IMGs to match into residency programs in the US, many hospitals are cutting programs and new medical schools are opening up, that means it will be much harder for IMGs to work in the US.
 
HI! my name is Edgar.

I'm really confused about choosing University in Germany
Can somebody help me to choose between

University of Bonn
Ludwig Maximilians University of Munchen
Free University of Berlin
Humbolt University of Berlin
University of Freiburg
University of Heidelberg

I know that University of Heidelberg is the best based on Times Higher Education rank.
But i'm searching for the best weather, lifestyle, city, entertainment, education, etc.
Thanks for your help
 
Edgar,

What are you looking to do in Germany- med school, residency, rotation?

Academically, all of the Universities you mentioned are at very similar levels (this is the case for almost all German universities). Each faculty has areas that it specializes in so, depending on what your purpose is, one may be better for you than the other.

I know Munich and Berlin well, they are both pretty large cities but very different from each other. I think that both have a lot to offer- theater, music, night life. Munich has Oktoberfest and is very close to the mountains and Italy (a big plus!!) but Berlin is larger and more diverse with a better music and nightlife scene. The weather in Munich is a little better.

Freiburg and Heidelberg are smaller cities with lots of students and beautiful architecture. They are both surrounded by nice hilly countryside. Since they are smaller, the night life is not as diverse as in Berlin and Munich but there is still plenty to do. Freiburg has some of the best weather in Germany. I think that Heidelberg also has pretty good weather (by German standards 🙂)

I really can't say much about Bonn because I was only there briefly.

Let us know what you are interested in more specifically..... maybe we can give you some better advice.
 
any reviews on Tubingen Med School?
 
Edgar,

What are you looking to do in Germany- med school, residency, rotation?

Academically, all of the Universities you mentioned are at very similar levels (this is the case for almost all German universities). Each faculty has areas that it specializes in so, depending on what your purpose is, one may be better for you than the other.

I know Munich and Berlin well, they are both pretty large cities but very different from each other. I think that both have a lot to offer- theater, music, night life. Munich has Oktoberfest and is very close to the mountains and Italy (a big plus!!) but Berlin is larger and more diverse with a better music and nightlife scene. The weather in Munich is a little better.

Freiburg and Heidelberg are smaller cities with lots of students and beautiful architecture. They are both surrounded by nice hilly countryside. Since they are smaller, the night life is not as diverse as in Berlin and Munich but there is still plenty to do. Freiburg has some of the best weather in Germany. I think that Heidelberg also has pretty good weather (by German standards 🙂)

I really can't say much about Bonn because I was only there briefly.

Let us know what you are interested in more specifically..... maybe we can give you some better advice.

Thank u for the information. By the way, as u asked me before, I'm looking for med school in Germany.

I'm confused with the choice between large cities and small cities. Can u give me more recommendation?

In addition, if i chose Berlin, which University is the best for med school?
 
Did you not see the link above that I posted?

Additionally, MMMiles has already posted excellent and clear information. He can't tell you what kind of city to like.

In my experience, med schools here take a preference to students who aren't so helpless and show some independence that is needed to do such things as find out the departments one must visit to even enter classes.
 
Berlin has two: Freie Uni Berlin and Humboldt.

Had.

https://imed.faimer.org/results.asp...&cname=GERMANY&city=&region=0&rname=&psize=25

In 1998, Humboldt Universitaet merged with Freie Universitaet Berlin to form Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin.

http://www.fu-berlin.de/en/einrichtungen/fachbereiche/medizin/index.html

Medical School - Charité - University Medicine Berlin
Joint Corporation of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
The Berlin city and state House of Representatives passed an interim law for the purpose of restructuring university medicine in Berlin. It came into effect on June 1, 2003. The Department of Medicine at Freie Universität Berlin and the Medical Faculty at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin were united in a new joint corporation called Charité. The new organization includes all the areas of responsibility with regard to research and teaching in the fields of medicine and dentistry previously covered by the respective departments in the two universities.
 
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hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
i`m a student of medicine from lebanon. finished medical studies from russian federation and want to apply for post graduation in oncology or nephrology in germany.what are the requirements to be full filled by me to get admission for my higher studies in germany.i have russian wife is it possible that she can come along with me.
 
Had.

https://imed.faimer.org/results.asp...&cname=GERMANY&city=&region=0&rname=&psize=25

In 1998, Humboldt Universitaet merged with Freie Universitaet Berlin to form Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin.

http://www.fu-berlin.de/en/einrichtungen/fachbereiche/medizin/index.html

Medical School - Charité - University Medicine Berlin
Joint Corporation of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
The Berlin city and state House of Representatives passed an interim law for the purpose of restructuring university medicine in Berlin. It came into effect on June 1, 2003. The Department of Medicine at Freie Universität Berlin and the Medical Faculty at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin were united in a new joint corporation called Charité. The new organization includes all the areas of responsibility with regard to research and teaching in the fields of medicine and dentistry previously covered by the respective departments in the two universities.

So which one is better?
Charité - University Medicine Berlin or Heidelberg University Faculty of Medicine?
 
That's a truly tough one, including going by the DAAD ratings. Heidelberg's international reputation can't be disputed, as it's one of Europe's top schools, and arguably Germany's top school, though there are close rankings for the top, and there is uniformity between most all German schools. Heidelberg has big publications and links all over the place, but so does Munich, Aachen, and Berlin. Berlin, while in the community of research, might not be as well known, in general use, Berlin is a well known place, while Heidelberg is not. To be honest, unless there's research involved, I'd pick the school that provides the student with the best overall conditions, as there's little separating most of them. In fact, Heidelberg has a rep of having poor student support compared to "lower" schools.
 
I agree with slight.... it is very hard to say which one is "better" unless you are referring to a very specific research or clinical area.

I would probably make the decision based on how much I like the city. Berlin and Heidelberg are both nice cities but very different. If you want a large, international city, go for Berlin. If you would rather be in a smaller "student city" then Heidelberg would be better.
 
Hi,
I am a 5th year medical student in Romania (EU member country) but I am of Indian origin(non-EU citizen). I will get the MD degree in oct 2010(which i hope is valid in the EU countries)
I want to do my post graduation in cardiology in Germany( I have already started to learn the language).I have avrage mark of 9.1/10 till now( in the past 5 acadmic years)
my questions are
1) what medical university will be best for me (for PG in cardiology)
2) how to apply for admission in the german universities (for post graduation)
3) what kind of salary should i expect

thanking you in anticipation
shocks
 
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