MEDICAL PG IN GERMANY
Five
reasons to study in Germany
High-quality teaching and research
Numbering around 400, German universities offer excellent
opportunities for learning and research
Attractive international courses
German
universities also offer a large number of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and
doctorates aimed at international students. Depending on the university and
availability, the students can take these courses in English or French, for
example
Low fees
Unlike many other countries, no tuition fees are charged for
undergraduate degrees at public universities in Germany.
Good career prospects
Studying
at a German university could be your first step towards a career in Germany.
Because German companies are looking for university graduates in a variety of
sectors – especially in the fields of engineering, medicine, the life sciences and information technology.
High quality of life
Life in Germany is very good. If you study here, you will not
only find Europe's most dynamic economy. Germany is also a very safe country,
with a high standard of living, a rich cultural history and a very diverse
population.
The German language
Whether at work, out shopping or dealing with the
authorities, if you are going to live in Germany in the long term and want to
integrate successfully into society, it is crucial to speak German. There are
plenty of opportunities for learning the language – lessons, language tandems
or online courses, for example. Here, you can find out who offers courses, how
much a course costs and how to improve your language skills outside lessons.
Which
occupations are in demand?
In some industries, jobs and regions in Germany, there is a
shortage of qualified professionals. More especially, qualified technical
workers, such as engineers and IT specialists, as well as health specialists,
are in short supply. We show you what your chances are of finding a job in each
of the different professional fields.
Germany has one of the best healthcare systems in the world.
The use of the very latest therapies and medical equipment helps guarantee an
exceptionally high level of care. Increasing digitisation is opening up new
possibilities for medical care, as X-ray images and medical reports are
available faster. And digitisation is set to grow even faster, lowering costs
and bringing continual improvements in healthcare. A dense network of clinics
and doctors' surgeries ensures that patients get the medical services they need
rapidly. At the same time, doctors are held in great esteem by the German population.
In surveys, the medical profession is consistently one of the most highly
regarded in Germany, followed in second place by the nursing profession.
Career opportunities for doctors in Germany
In Germany, doctors work
- in
hospitals, generally as an employee
- in their
own medical practice
- in large
group practices, as an employee
In Germany, the average starting salary for medical graduates
is higher than in any other field of study and currently lies at around €49,000
a year. On average, doctors in Germany are paid more than graduates of any
other academic discipline.
German hospitals have had to contend with a shortage of
doctors for quite a number of years now. There is a need throughout Germany for
several thousand additional doctors. This demand will continue to rise in
coming years, particularly as many hospital doctors are soon due to enter
retirement.
In the field of private practice, there is primarily a need
for general practitioners, particularly in eastern Germany and rural areas,
where there are often difficulties recruiting doctors to fill practices as they
become vacant. These shortages will soon spread to other regions of Germany and
other areas of specialization, since here, too, many doctors are due to retire
in coming years.
Becoming a medical specialist in Germany
Gaining specialisation in a certain area of medicine is an integral part of
medical specialist training in Germany. Training programmes can take five to
six years and are conducted at university medical centres or other facilities
which are authorised to provide specialist training. The regulations are
different in each German state. To be eligible, you must have excellent German
skills are and have a medical license, the “Approbation”.
Procedure
After successfully completing your studies in Medicine, you may continue
studying to gain specialisation in an elective subject. The training programme
takes five to six years to complete. There are 30 different areas of medicine
in which you can specialise. During the programme you are required to complete
a catalogue of fixed tasks. The training programme concludes with the medical
specialist examination.
Medical specialist training programmes are not degree programmes and are not
offered at German universities. During such a programme, you work as a doctor
in full-time employment, e.g. at a doctor's practice, a university clinic or
medical centre or other “institution authorised to provide medical treatment”.
You are paid as an assistant physician.
German language proficiency is a very important prerequisite, i.e. at least
a B2 level as put forth in the Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages. You have to provide proof of your language ability. The B2 level is
equivalent to the business language certificate “Deutsch für den Beruf” (ZDfB).
The provisions for medical specialist training are not the same throughout
Germany. The certification requirements are different in each state and are
determined by 17 “State Medical Boards”. Your medical specialist training
programme is subject to the rules of the state in which you live or work. You
can find a list of all the State Medical Boards on the
German
Medical Association website.
You can find openings for assistant physicians (“Assistenzarzt”) here:
You can find the addresses of doctors, who are certified to train medical
specialists, and other accredited medical training facilities on the websites
of the State Medical Boards (see the list of State Medical Boards on the German
Medical Association website).
You can occasionally obtain detailed information about the admission
requirements and language exams from the respective university or university
medical centre.
Licensure and recognition of prior academic qualification
If you wish to practice medicine in Germany, you will require a state
medical license. This is called the “Certification to Provide Medical Treatment
in Germany”, or “Approbation” for short. To obtain such a licence, you must
register with the “Oberste Landesgesundheitsbehörde” (Supreme Health
Authorities of the German Federal States). You can find a
list
of addresses of the responsible authorities on the German Medical
Association website.
- If you are a citizen of the EU,
Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland and completed medical education in
the EU, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland:
Your medical education is normally recognised as equivalent to that provided
in Germany, and you will receive your medical license (“Approbation”).
- If you are a citizen of a different
country and did not complete your medical education in the EU,
Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland:
The equivalency of your academic qualification will have to be assessed
(knowledge assessment). If the medical board determines that your education is
not equivalent to that provided in Germany, you will receive a temporary
medical license, valid for a maximum of two years. During this period, you are
required to take the equivalency assessment examination. If you pass the exam,
you normally receive your German medical license.
More information
Fachsprachenprüfung- FSP(Medical German Language Test) – Telc
B2-C1 Medizin exam
General
The
Medical Association North Rhine took over the specialist language examination
for the district governments Düsseldorf and Cologne on 1 January 2014. The
takeover of the specialist language examination for foreign doctors by the
Medical Association North Rhine goes back to a decision of the North
Rhine-Westphalian government. Previously in North Rhine, officials of the
district governments had set the specialist language examination. The test is
based on the model of an OSCE examination.
OSCE:
An objective structured clinical examination is a modern type of examination
often used in health sciences. It is designed to test clinical skill
performance and competence in skills such as communication, clinical
examination, medical procedures manipulation techniques, radiographic
positioning, radiographic image evaluation and interpretation of results. It is
a hands-on, real-world approach to learning that keeps examinees engaged,
allows them to understand the key factors that drive the medical
decision-making process, and challenges the professional to be innovative and
reveals their errors in case-handling and provides an open space for improved
decision-making, based on evidence-based practice for real-world
responsibilities.
Course of the proceedings
There are no changes to the application process
for the license to practice as a doctor. The processing of applications for the
issuing of licences remains the task of the competent district government in
Düsseldorf or Cologne.
If the competent district government has
sufficiently reviewed the application for a license and deems a specialist
language examination to be necessary, it sends the Medical Association North
Rhine the necessary data.
That means that personal registration is not
necessary.
After the Medical Association North Rhine has
received the data from the respective district government, it usually contacts
the applicant by e-mail and requests the applicant to pay the management fee
for the specialist examination of currently 300 Euro. After receipt of the fee,
the applicant is then allocated the next possible examination date and receives
a letter from the Medical Association North Rhine giving the examination date
and all the necessary information for the examination. The letter also contains
the time at which the applicant is to arrive at the examination centre. The
time is to be observed precisely, as late appearance counts as failure of the
examination.
The examination centre is the Medical
Association North Rhine, Tersteegenstr. 9, 40474 Düsseldorf
Note: At this point, it is already possible for the
applicant to co-determine the prospective examination date. The invitation to
the examination is issued when the payment is transferred.
The specialist language examination should be as
practically relevant as possible. All elements are already known from the daily
work in the hospital. The examination relates only to the specialist language
and not to the basic medical knowledge.
For the specialist language examination, it is
not relevant whether a wrong diagnosis is made or an incorrect treatment option
is given. Only the language used when dealing with the respective situation is
included in the evaluation.
The 60-minute examination is divided into 3
sections of 20 minutes each.
- Doctor - patient discussion
- Documentation
- Doctor - doctor discussion
1. Doctor - patient discussion
The examinee holds an anamnesis interview with a
patient. The role of the patient is played by an actor. However, the examinee
is to treat him like a normal patient. In this way, the doctor - patient
interview can be simulated as it is known from everyday treatment.
This method ensures that each examinee receives
an equally difficult case.
The anamnesis interview is carried out exactly
as learnt during the degree. After the examinee has formed a picture of the
patient, he explains his suspected diagnosis and gives the patient suggestions
for further diagnosis and treatment. He should explain to the patient what he
considers to be useful measures and respond to questions.
It should be observed that patients are
unfamiliar with medical terminology. It is important that the patient can
understand the doctor to be tested properly and well.
2. Documentation
In the second section, the examinee is to
transfer the anamnesis to an anamnesis sheet. For this, the candidate receives
a ready-made form from the Medical Association North Rhine, as is used, in
principal, in every hospital in the area of the chamber.
3. Doctor-doctor discussion
The third section of the examination simulates
the situation of a ward round. Here the examinee meets two doctors (for
example, a chief physician and a senior physician). The examinee gives the
doctors a structured description of the patient seen in section 1.
The discussion partners are doctors, so no
layman’s language is to be used, but rather, medical terminology for
communication. It is important to clarify the information about the patient in
a carefully structured approach. In so doing, the examinee should also explain
his own assessment of the situation and his ideas for further treatment.
After the patient presentation, the two doctors
will ask some questions on this. The medical colleagues can also submit further
documentation on the patient to the examinee for him to evaluate.
Assessment of the examination
Each examinee is assessed by three examiners.
The examiners work with structured assessment sheets. After completing the
examination, the assessment sheets of the individual examiners are collected
and analysed centrally. Each sheet contains a maximum of 20 points. This means
that each examinee can attain a maximum of 60 points. To pass the specialist
language examination, 60 percent of the maximum number of points, or at least
36 points have to be achieved.
Aids during the examination
At the start of the examination, each examinee
is provided with an empty notepad and a pen. The notes are not included in the
assessment of the examination. Other aids are not permitted. Also, no luggage,
handbags, jackets, coats or the like may be taken into the examination rooms.
In the reception area of the Medical Association
North Rhine, a cloakroom and lockers are available (deposit 1 Euro).
During the examination, telephone calls and any
contact with uninvolved persons is considered cheating and will lead to failure
of the examination.
Pass / fail
The result of the examination is given to the
examinee on the day of the examination and the competent district government
notified. Further processing takes place there.
The examination is considered passed if the
examinee attains at least 60 percent (at least 36 points) of the maximum number
of points possible.
The examination is considered failed if the
examinee attains less than 60 percent (less than 36 points) of the maximum
number of points possible.
In case of failure, the specialist language
examination can be repeated several times. The examinee is sent information on
re-examination by the Medical Association North Rhine straightaway.
The Medical Association North Rhine recommends
that you schedule a few months between the examination dates, to allow time for
further language training. For repeat examinations, the examination fee of
currently 300 Euros is payable each time.
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