Austria is a German-speaking country, and it has almost the same requirements for international students as Germany, except that entrance examinations weigh more in Austria than in Germany. For this reason, students trying to get into Austrian medical schools focus more on preparing for that single test. In this article, we will be looking at the best medical schools in Austria for international students.

Austria had historically been an artistic and cultural hub where famous composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Schubert originated. But nowadays, it is not only a place to immerse in arts, music, and history but is also presently one of the excellent choices to pursue medicine. Medical education offered in Austria, especially in Vienna, is among the top in the world. Moreover, it is free for EU and EEA citizens.

Can International Students Enroll in Medical Schools in Austria?

Yes, Austrian medical schools even reserve 5% of their slots to international students per year. However, they have to sit the grueling entrance examinations to their desired medical institution. All medical schools in Austria accept international students includes the Medical University of ViennaMedical University of Graz, and Innsbruck Medical University. To be eligible for admission to Austrian medical schools, you must meet the following:

  • Take the entrance test MedAt
  • Minimum C1 level knowledge of the German Language
  • Recommendation letter

Do note that other required documents such as diplomas and transcripts of record may or may not be required depending on which country the student resides. Some documents should also be in German, so please check the website of your desired medical schools.

Find Out: How to Study in Austria for Free

What is the Medical Curriculum Like in Medical Schools in Austria?

Medical programs in Germany are undergraduate programs meaning you can take them right after high school. The medium of instruction will all be in German. Accordingly, it requires applicants, especially non-German ones, to be at least C1 level. It is a 6-year program with 12 semesters divided into three phases. Here is a medical program overview from the Medical University of Vienna:

The first phase in the program consists of two semesters that focus on the introduction to medicine and the internal and external effective systems of the human body. The second phase lasts for six semesters. The first two phases have thematic blocks with small group training and semesters.

To be eligible to move to the third phase, the students must complete a diploma examination and mandatory elective training in Internal Medicine. The last cycle has four semesters that involve 12 weeks of clerkship and 48 weeks of clinical internship in Medical University of Vienna’s university clinics and other accredited teaching hospitals.

The graduates will have to undergo a mandatory three years of residency before becoming eligible to take the physician licensing exam. This residency, however, does not include specialization yet. If the candidate aims to specialize, he/she will have two continue three or more years in fellowship on their chosen field.

See Also: How to Become a Medical Doctor in Denmark

Best Medical Schools in Austria

1. Medical University of Vienna

The Medical University of Vienna was established in 1365 and is currently the best medical school in Austria. It also possesses leading research institutions as well as the largest hospital in Europe. The university’s academic system is called the triple track strategy. It relies on the simultaneous operation of its three cornerstones: research, education, and patient care to improve the medical and scientific quality of the university.

The medicine degree program of the Medical University of Vienna consists of 12 semesters divided into three phases. The first phase and second phase last up to two semesters and six semesters, respectively. These are thematic and accompanied by training and seminars. The remaining semesters are for the third phase, where all the knowledge learned is deepened, and clinical internships occur.

2. Medical University of Graz

The Medical University of Graz, one of the best medical universities in Austria, was founded in 2004 by becoming independent from Karl-Franzens-University of Graz as it was its faculty of medicine since 1863. The University was the first in Austria to commemorate its third-year students with a White Coat Ceremony.

The medical degree programs are entirely in German and follow an integral, topic-centered, and patient-oriented methodology. It also helped establish many research facilities focused on sustainable health research, including the Biobank Graz, the Center for Medical Research, and the Center for Knowledge and Technology Transfer in Medicine.

Also Check Out: Cheap Universities in Austria

3. Medical University of Innsbruck

Originally a faculty of medicine established in 1674 of the Leopold-Franzens University, the Medical University of Innsbruck has separated from it and was established as an independent university in 2004 and is one of the most extensive educational facilities for doctors and medical researchers in Austria.

The medical programs of this top medical school in Austria are interdisciplinary. The institution ensures competency by letting the students have contact with the patients right at the start. It also involves learning parallel to the theoretical knowledge to develop the skills and application of information.

A clinical internship is at the end of the program, which lasts 48 weeks completed in various hospitals. In addition to that, you can also take 16 weeks of internship for general medical practices.

4. Paracelsus Private Medical University

Paracelsus Private Medical University is a private university founded in 2002 in Salzburg, Austria. It has a second campus in Nuremberg, Germany, established in 2014. The medical degree taught in the university is of modern American and patient-oriented medicine.

Salzburg and Nuremberg university hospital plays a vital role as a study location and clinical area for its students. Fourth and fifth-year medical students can opt to study abroad at the university’s international partners. Allowable only within the framework of the research trimester and the clinical internship.

5. Johannes Kepler University Linz

Johannes Kepler University Linz is one of the best public medical universities in Austria located in the capital of Upper Austria. The university offered the first Bachelor’s-Master’s degree system in Austria, in which the system allows seamless progress from Bachelor’s program to Master’s degree program.

The program’s structure instills an interdisciplinary thinking method, which involves the potential effects of an illness concerning the body, system, and organ examination to get to the cause efficiently and to discover potential treatment opportunities.

6. Vienna School of Osteopathy

Specializing in osteopathy or alternative medicine that focuses on the physical manipulation of the body’s tissue and bones, Vienna School of Osteopathy provides a practice-oriented degree program of either Master of Science in Osteopathy or Academic Expert in Osteopathy.

The overall curriculum for both degrees includes the fundamental courses that last up to 4 years and the university courses where students choose between being a Master of Science or an Academic Expert that lasts 4-5 semesters and three semesters.

7. Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences

Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences is one of the best medical universities in Austria and was founded in honor of Karl Landsteiner, who discovered the ABO blood group system. The medical education in the university comprises a six-year Bachelor’s and Master’s program.

It had also already received accreditation from the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria (AQ Austria) and was certified as an excellent medical institution in the country. It has three university clinics in Krems, St. Pölten, and Tulln, which are excellent training facilities for its students where small study group is encouraged than classroom lectures.

Check Also: Free Medical Schools

Whether music, arts, quality of life, or medical education, Austria can deliver the best. And for everything in life, especially your medical education, choose wisely! You can kickstart your medical career at any of the above best medical schools in the world. Better yet, you will find various scholarships in Austria to aid your studies, from a Bachelor’s degree to a doctoral degree. Be sure to check out our list of fully funded scholarships to ease your financial burden in paying for tuition and other study expenses.

 

We hope that this article on the best medical schools in Austria was helpful. If you are interested in knowing more information like this, check out the Programs in Europe for International Students!

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun is the founder at Global Scholarships. He has received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College as well as $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for his undergraduate degree and has been offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. Read more about his scholarship journey here.

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