How to specialize in Medicine in Germany for Foreign Doctors

Hallo friends!

I recieve a lot of messages on Facebook from my friends, who seek staight-to-the-point and first-hand information about specialising further in Surgery, Internal Medicine, ophthalmo, Psychiatry, etc., in Germany. So, here is the most important and frequently asked queries:

• How to start specializing in Medicine in Germany?
• What do I need to do to learn German?
• What are the levels A1, A2,..in German language and what level is required to study further in Germany?
• How much time does it take to learn German from level 0 to B2 or C1?
• What do I need to do once I have required German language proficiency?
• Which University or Hospital do I need to apply for Post-Graduation?
• Can I apply for a post for Post-Graduation from my home country online or do I need to arrive there in Germany to do that?
• Do I need an Agent to do all these or can I do it all myself?
• Do I get a stipend during my studies?

Once you read this short article underneath, you will be able to find answer to all these queries of yours:

Question: How to "Study further in Germany"?
Answer    : You definitely don't need to contact any agencies (You don't need any agents to assist you with this process). German language institutes, hospitals, Medical Council, Foreigner's Office, or any other contact point are very friendly and will always answer your emails. You can search for language institutes on "Google Search", find there Email address in the "Contact us" tab and write a personal email asking about the admission process. For additional information about online admission and visa process click here. But first of all lets take a look at Step-by-step 3 step process required for Post-graduation in Germany:

          Step 1. Start learning German language
          Step 2. Apply for specialization in your desired field
          Step 3. Apply for the recognition of your medical certificate


Lets now go in more details:


         Step 1. Start learning German language. Basic requirement. No German language means no PG (Post-graduation). You can easily find a German language institutes in the major cities of your country. Goethe-Institute is a very well know institute for example.

           --> German language has 6 levels of proficiency i.e A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 & C2. A1 is the ground level, where you are able to converse about basic most things in German. C2 level is equivalent to the proficiency of native people.

           --> Whereas, German language certificate C1 is required in most of the states of Germany, a language certificate of level B2 is still accepted in some German states e.g: Bayern. 
         
            --> It takes 1 year on an average to reach the level B2, assuming 3 months per level. There are a lot of German language Institutes in Germany, where German is taught at an intensive mode. Here the level B2 can be arrived withing 7-8 months. 

             --> Depending upon your target German State, you may additionally prepare and write telc-Medizin B2-C1 test. Telc-Medicine B2 or C1 german language certificate gives you an additional benefit while you apply for the specialization (More on this can be read in the step 2 section).  For additional info about learning German while living in Germany click here. 


         Step 2. Apply for specialization in your desired field. In private hospitals and not in universities.
         --> Yes, you can apply in uni-clinics, but the chances are very slim for most sought after fields. For Pathology, Biochemistry, etc., you have still some chances.

          --> In Germany, the Medical system is completely different than most other countries outside EU (European Union). Here, Private multi-speciality Hospitals are permitted to directly accept the candidates for further specialization. There are no entrance exams for that. Post-Graduation education here is kind of a full time job, where you are working as an Assistant-Doctor in the specific field. You get a salary of 3200 to 3800 Euros per month. In 5 to 6 years, depending upon the field, you can pass an exam and can be titled as Dr. Med.

           --> Once you have reach the required level of German proficiency, simply search for hospitals in Germany in "Google Search". Open the websites of individual Hospitals and look if they have a respective branch of Medicine in there Hospital which you are looking for. For example: Cardiology. Then in the "Contact Us" section of the site, write down the email address of the "Head of the Department" of that branch. Prepare your Resume and documents and apply. 

            --> Alternatively, you can even apply for an Hospitation in any hospital, which is a kind of internship for a short period of time. The duration (15 days or 1 month or 2 months)of the same is decided by the candidate themselves. It can be done for maximum duration of 3 months. For more info on the process of applying for a residency post or Hospitation and the additional benefit of telc-Medicine B2 or C1, click here.


          Step 3. Apply for the recognition of your medical certificate. Again with your Resume and the contract indicating your acceptance at specific hospital in the specific field of Medicine. In the respective State Medical Council, where the hospital is located. Each States of Germany has an independently working Medical Council, who are authorized to evaluate your Medical Degree and provide you a license.

           --> State Medical Council will evaluate your Medical certificates and compare it to the German standard. German bachelor in Medicine has duration of 6 years and there are some extra subjects taught over here as compared to MBBS (Bachelor in Medicine) in many countries like China, Pakistan, India, Nepal, etc. In this case, or even if the Medical Council thinks that your knowledge of basic Medicine isn't strong enough, you may have to write a licensing Exam, which is an MCQ (Multiple Choice Question) based one day exam in German language.

           --> You get maximum three chances to pass this exam within the time period of 16 months. Until you can pass this exam, you are given a temporary license to work.

            --> There is but one Exam, taken by State Medical Councils, that everyone has to pass before they recieve a Permanent License is "Medical Field German Language Exam" known as Medizin-Fachspracheprüfung (In the German States of Hessen, Thüringen, Schleswig-Holstein and in Saarland, telc-Medicine B2-C1 is accepted by State Medical Council, and in this case you are not required to write the exam taken by the State Medical Council). This exam is a Medical German Language exam, where your skills and capabilities of conversing with patients and other colleagues in hospital is assessed. It consists of Listening, Writing, Reading and Speaking, just like all other German language exams. Once you pass this exam, you recieve a permanent license, which is valid in all over European Union. 


So, that is it. For further queries, write a comment here underneath and I will try to answer in full details as soon as possible.