Over 20 Best 4 year medical schools in Europe|Tuition & Requirements

Applying to a medical school can be a daunting task because there are so many options. There are 4-year medical schools in Europe and there there are 6-year medical school programs in Europe.

The schools we will talk about are very good schools where you can study for four years or six years depending on the option you choose. Almost all these schools accept international students in their medical programs.

Please note that they are not arranged in order or hierarchy, however, 27 of them are among the best schools we have in Europe. If you have any suggestions, please make sure to leave a comment or ask your questions in the comment section.

During your application, you find out that the admission process is quite varied between countries and sometimes within countries.

In Europe in general, medicine has traditionally been a 6-year undergraduate degree but in recent times some universities have recently launched 4-year graduate medical programs.

A Graduate medical program in a 4 year medical schools in Europe simply requires a prior undergraduate education during which the medical school prerequisites are fulfilled.

For instance, as a geneticist and lab director/consultant for diagnostic labs, you can decide to go for the 4-year graduate medical programs in a 4 year medical schools in Europe to become a doctor.

The criteria used by European universities vary from exclusively academic to combined academic and non-academic criteria.

Academic criteriarequirements may include the medical entrance examinations such as UCAT and the non-academic requirements (e.g, personal statement, interview, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities). Let’s move straight to why you are here; 4 year medical schools in Europe.

What are the Entry Requirements for Graduate Entry Medicine

The requirements for entry into a 4 year medical schools in Europe depends on which course you are applying to and also on the institution.

However, here are the general requirements:

  • At least a 2.1 degree
  • GAMSAT, UCAT, or BMAT results
  • Relevant work experience
  • Strong references
  • A compelling Personal Statement

Some Graduate entry Medicine courses will require you to pass the GAMSAT. Others will want you to ace the BMAT or UCAT.

GAMSAT costs around £268  in the United Kingdom, however, if you register late, you will have to pay an additional fee of  £60.

There are two sittings; the September and March sittings. For the September sitting, you should expect the results from Late November, while for the March sitting, the results are actually sent at the start of July.

Which Graduate Entry Medical Schools Require GAMSAT?

  • Cardiff
  • Dundee / St Andrews
  • Exeter
  • Liverpool
  • Nottingham
  • Plymouth
  • St George’s, London
  • Swansea

List of 4 year medical schools in Europe in English

It is hard to find medical schools in Europe that teach in English, however, here is the list of the 4 year medical schools in Europe that offers graduate entry medicine program:

  • Dnipro Medical Institute (Ukraine)

  • European University In Tbilisi Georgia

  • Medical University of Silesia (Poland)

  • Medical University of Lodz (Poland)

  • Poznan University of Medical Sciences (Poland)

  • University of Nicosia (Cyprus)

  • Queen Mary University of London

  • Northumbria University, England

  • University of Chester, England

  • Ulster University, Northern Ireland

Dnipro Medical Institute (Ukraine)

Studying medicine in this 4 year medical schools in Europe has become increasingly popular over the years because of the quality of medical courses which they offer in English.

They have a large international community and a long history of training and influence over the future doctors and physicians of the world.

In this medical school( At Dnipro Medical Institute) you can study online for years 1-3.

This is one of the 4 year medical schools in Europe that has lots of research opportunities available in the medical field with subsequent participation in the research conference and other extracurricular activities.

They are one of the few 4 year medical schools in Europe that offers the graduate entry program.

Their fast-track and accelerated medical or dentistry courses allows you to graduate in three or four years.

Anyone who has a medical-related science degree is eligible to apply for this program.

The admission requirements for the graduate entry program in this 4 year medical schools in Europe include:

  • A Levels(Must include at least Biology or Chemistry)
  • A university degree(Optimally a Bachelors of Science(BSc) such as: Biochemistry, Biomedical Science, Pharmacy and more.

A month’s rent in a properly-furnished, single bedroom apartment will cost you from €150 to €250 per month. Other expenses such as utilities, food, free-time activities will cost between €100 – €200 per month.

Academics usually starts mid-September (around 15th) and lasts until 22-23 December, just before the Christmas holiday.

The second semester, however, starts mid-February and lasts until June.

Location: Sevastopolska St, 17, Dnipropetrovs’k, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine, 49000

Courses: Medicine and Dentistry

Tuition: Tuition fees are around €4,600 for the first year and around €3,300 per year for the remaining years.

Living Costs: ~€ 300/month

Entrance Examination: No entrance examinations

European University In Tbilisi Georgia

This is one of the 4 year medical schools in Europe that aims at preparing doctors and dentists who meet modern standards.

They rely on the principle of evidence-based medicine. The MD and DMD programs use qualitative research ethical and communication skills in establishing themselves as well as developing themselves professionally in an environment that is constantly changing.

To apply to this medical school, you must have earned a high school diploma and of course, you must be fluent in the English Language since you will be studying in English.

No entrance examinations are required.

There are three intakes months through the year which are March, October and December with the deadline being the 1st of the month before the intake month.

There are dormitories in this medical school and they have a housing capacity of 300 students.

However, if you decide to go for a single bedroom apartment instead of the University dormitories, it will cost you between €200-€300 per month.

Utility bills, food and entertainment will cost you around € 500 per month in Tbilisi.

They are accredited by the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMAR) and recognized by the World Health Organization.

Location: Georgia, Tbilisi
Courses: Medicine, Dentistry
Tuition: €4100
Living Costs: ~€ 400/month
Entrance Examination:

Medical University of Silesia (Poland)

This is one of the 4 year medical schools in Europe located in Katowice and is currently the largest medical school in Poland.

It was established due to the increased demand for doctors. This medical school has educated over 50,000 healthcare specialists, with over 25,000 of them being physicians.

It is undoubtedly one of the best choices of studying medicine in Europe in English.

Their accelerated courses known as the graduate entry program or 4-year medicine course is for Medicine only in specific situations.

Currently, over 10,218 are enrolled with so many of them studying in English.

The regular programmer is 6 years long, however, the opportunity for admission into the third year is possible as long as the Medical University of Silesia recognizes your previous higher education studies.

They equally accept transfer students. You can study medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy in this medical school, with all of them being English Programs.

In terms of cost, Dentistry and Pharmacy are more expensive with costs of €12,200 and €8600 per year, respectively.

Most importantly, applicants will have to sit for an entrance examination which most times determines their admission. Applicants are also evaluated based on chemistry, physics and biology high school grades.

There are September(Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy) and February(Medicine and Graduate entry only) intakes.

The University also offers accommodation to students in a dormitory that is located on campus, with a single room and a standard bathroom priced at €200 per month and a single room with a lower standard bathroom priced at €165 per month.

Applicants who prefer rented apartments should budget around €310 – €390, depending on its location.

Location: Poland, Katowice

Courses: Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy

Tuition: €11200- 11200/year

Living Costs: ~€ 500/month

Entrance Examination: Yes

Medical University of Lodz (Poland)

This is one of the 4 year medical schools in Europe and is currently one of the largest medical schools in Poland. This medical school was founded at the beginning of October 2002.

They offer Medicine and Dentistry programs in English.

There are over 900 international students currently enrolled and their English programs are designed to comply with the highest global standards.

There’s also a 4-year medical degree in English (or graduate-entry medicine program) here and student transfers are welcome.

A high school diploma or secondary school leaving certificate is a part of the entry requirements and students must have above average in the following subjects:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Maths
  • English Language Proficiency

For the graduate entry course, the minimum requirement is a BSc in a related degree and English Language Proficiency.

There is an entrance examination in the form of a Skype interview, where your knowledge of the subjects; Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, English Language proficiency, are evaluated.

Their tuition fees are listed below:

  • Medicine – €11,400 for the first year, €11,200 afterwards
  • Dentistry – €13,200 for the first year, €13,000 afterwards
  • Advanced MD – €14,700 for the third year, €14,500 afterwards
  • Preparatory course – €5,900 for 8 months.

Location: Poland, Lodz

Courses: Medicine, Dentistry, Pre-med

Tuition: €11400- 14700/year

Living Costs: € 650/month

Entrance Examination:

Poznan University of Medical Sciences (Poland)

This is also one of the accredited 4 year medical schools in Europe, located in Poznan, Poland.

This particular University is more famous among international students from the US and Canada.

Their English courses were introduced for the first time in the year 1993 and boast of an impressive 27+ years of teaching medical sciences from students all over the world.

Poznan University of Medical Sciences also runs a small advanced-medicine course aimed at American and Canadian degree holders, who study on a different system than the UK.

Students in those countries usually study a pre-med Bachelor’s course specifically tailored to cover the first pre-clinical subjects of medicine.

They also accept transfer students. Below are the tuition fees per year of each course:

  • Medicine – €13,500
  • Dentistry – €14,500
  • Pharmacy – €8,700
  • Advanced MD – €14,700

The admission requirement of this medical school includes; a high school certificate, with more advantages given to applicants who have covered Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics.

For the graduate entry, applicants must have attained the Bachelor’s degree, with their transcripts showing subjects like:

  • General Chemistry
  • General Biology
  • Organic Chemistry
  • General Physics or Maths or Statistics
  • Sociology, Anthropology or Human behavior

There is an MCQ entrance examination for applicants as well as an interview. Students must also present a recommendation letter from a Science teacher.

When it comes to accommodations, there are student hostels; single rooms and shared apartments.

The monthly rental fees are between €80 – €140 per person for a double room or €160 – €260 for a single room.

Location: Poland, Poznan

Courses: Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy

Tuition: €13500- 13500/year

Living Costs: € 600/month

Entrance Examination: Yes

University of Nicosia (Cyprus)

This is one of the 4 year medical schools in Europe that is located in the Largest capital city of Cyprus.

This medical school was founded in the year 1980, with more than 12,000 students from over 70 countries choosing this medical school from time to time.

They offer graduate-entry programs in Medicine and equally allow student transfers. With your previous health-related degree, you can apply for the graduate entry medical program, otherwise, without the health-related degree, you will have to study for 6 years.

There are scholarships available at this University; 30% reduction of the tuition fee for those pursuing the Graduate Entry Medical Degree and a 20% reduction of the tuition fee for Undergraduate Entry Medical degree.

Tuition fees:

  • €18,000 for the first three years of undergraduate entry medical degree and €22,000 for the last three years of the course
  • €30,000 per year for the 4-year course for graduate entry students.

This medical school requires the following:

  • High School leaving certificate
  • English Language Requirements(applicants from the UK, Ireland, USA are excluded)
  • An interview(in-person or Online)

For the graduate Entry, at least a 2.1 class honours in Bachelor’s degree, or the equivalents for Canada – 3.2 and USA – 3.3 GPA is required.

Also at least 57 overall in GAMSAT or a 500 in MCAT. If the primary language is not English, then IELTS or TOEFL will be required.

An interview and a Screening for satisfactory health and police screening, as well as Hepatitis B immunization, will be conducted.

Location: Cyprus, Nicosia

Courses: Medicine

Tuition: €18000- 18000/year

Living Costs: € 1000/month

Entrance Examination:No

Queen Mary University of London

The Queen Mary University of London is one of the 4 year medical schools in Europe where applicants must present the UCAT.

For you to apply at the Queen Mary University of London, you must have achieved at least an upper second class honours degree or its equivalent in any subject.

Graduates from USA/Canada must offer an honours degree with a GPA of 3.6 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

All candidates for medicine must undertake the University Clinical Aptitude Test(UCAT).

Your overall UCAT score will be used in their selection for an interview in conjunction with your academic performance to date.

You must have a good knowledge of English before applying and must prove your knowledge of the English language when you apply.

Applicants from the following countries do not need to prove their knowledge of English:

  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Australia
  • the Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Dominica
  • Grenada
  • Guyana
  • Ireland
  • Jamaica
  • Malta
  • New Zealand
  • St Kitts and Nevis
  • St Lucia
  • St Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • UK
  • USA

Northumbria University

This is one of the 4 year medical schools in Europe where students who wish to join the four year Doctor of Medicine program must hold a Bachelors degree with a strong science focus.

Read more……

University of Chester

The University of Chester is one of the 4 year medical schools in Europe that is always attracting academically able students.

Their 4-year graduate entry medical program is the quickest way of obtaining a primary medical qualification in the United Kingdom.

They are accredited by the General Medical Council (UK).

International students are expected to have entry qualifications equivalent to the UK A Level for undergraduate study and British Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) for postgraduate study. Find out more…

How to apply

Ultser University

Ulster University is opening its Graduate Entry Medical School for 2021 entry, a unique development in medical education in Northern Ireland.

Find out more…

List of some other 4 year medical schools in UK

Below are other 4 year medical schools in Europe, Located in the UK, some of them give preference to the home applicants or UK citizens while others accept international students as well.

  • Queen Mary University of London
  • Birmingham Medical School (University of Birmingham)
  • University of Liverpool
  • University of Cambridge
  • Cardiff University
  • University of St Andrews
  • Imperial College London
  • King’s College London
  • University of Liverpool
  • University of Newcastle
  • University of Nottingham
  • University of Oxford
  • University of Sheffield
  • University of Southampton
  • St George’s University
  • Swansea University
  • University of Worcester
  • University of Warwick

Now, let’s go ahead and review just a few of the 4 year medical schools in Europe(UK) listed above.

Birmingham Medical School (University of Birmingham)

All students intending to study at the University of Birmingham’s medical school must:

  • Apply through Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
  • Offer acceptable academic qualifications
  • Sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test(UCAT) in the year of application
  • Attend an interview if Invited

All applicants must submit a completed application before the deadline. Information received by the university after the deadline will not be considered.

Applicants who meet the academic and non-academic conditions will be accepted.

The following degrees are considered more generally suitable, and that means that if you have any of the following courses, you have an upper hand to getting admitted:

  • Biochemistry/Medical Biochemistry 
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biomedical Science 
  • Dentistry 
  • Human Biology
  • Physiology
  • Pharmacology 
  • Nursing (Adult, Child or Mental Health strands)
  • Pharmacy 
  • Physiotherapy
  • Psychology (British Psychological Society accredited programme)
  • Neuroscience
  • Veterinary Medical Sciences (must be classified, otherwise distinction)
  • Medical Physiology and Therapeutics
  • Tropical Disease Biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Natural Sciences
  • Microbiology
  • Genetics
  • Health Science 

However, they do not accept the following degrees:

  • Midwifery
  • Paramedic Science
  • Optometry
  • Radiotherapy
  • Zoology
  • Chemistry
  • Forensic Science
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Osteopathy
  • Exercise, Nutrition and Health
  • Global and Social Medicine
  • Professional degrees relating to medical specialties, i.e. Clinical Language Sciences
  • Audiology
  • Chiropractic
  • Podiatry

University of Liverpool

To apply for the graduate entry medicine at the University of Liverpool, you must have attained at least a good 2:1 degree in a Biological, Biomedical or health science subject and a minimum of BBB at A level (to include Chemistry together with either Biology, Physics or Mathematics) and a third academic subject. Minimum GCSE requirements of a grade C (score 4) in English and Mathematics apply.

The University requires a GAMSAT result as a part of the entry requirements for graduates applying for the 4-year program.

The University of Liverpool requires UCAT which is a multiple-choice aptitude test that is taken on a computer. It lasts for two hours and can cost between £65 to £80.

In addition to the UCAT, the University of Liverpool requires GAMSAT which is a paper-based test. It lasts for 6 hours and has both multiple-choice and essay sections.

For you to apply at the University of Liverpool, you need to apply through the UCAS not minding whether you are a graduate or not.

Their tuition fee is £9,250 per year. They are 34th on the WUSCA student ranking.

University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge’s School of Clinical Medicine is considered as one of the 4 year medical schools in Europe and you must meet the following pre-medical requirements.

Above all, you must have the appropriate healthcare experience before applying for the course.

Your GCSE mathematics and English Language must be grade C or above.

Applicants must also have A level Chemistry and one of Biology/Human Biology, Mathematics, physics.


At least an upper second-class honours degree in any discipline.

BMAT is the aptitude test/medical examination required to get into this medical school.

Cardiff University

Cardiff Medical School is one of the largest in the United Kingdom with over 1000 undergraduate students.

It is the only medical school in Wales and is available to school leaver applicants.

It is one of the 4 year medical schools in Europe where you will benefit from a wide range of placement locations.

They have a case-based approach to learning in the initial years which puts all of the theory of the medical sciences into a clinical context, easing the transition between the pre-clinical and clinical years of study.

However, Cardiff only accepts graduates from one of four recognized feeder streams of specific degree courses offered at Cardiff University, the University of Bangor, or the University of South Wales.

Graduates applying must be from a recognized feeder stream as listed below:

BMedSci Medical Sciences at Bangor

BSc Medical Sciences at South Wales

BSc Medical Pharmacology at Cardiff

BSc Biomedical Science BC97 at Cardiff

University of St Andrews

The University of St Andrews was ranked among the top 100 universities in the years 2021 by the QS World Rankings.

More than 93% of St Andrews final-year students has given the University top marks for the quality of the learning and teaching experience.

The graduate entry medical program at the University of St Andrews is only Open to applicants who are from the UK or who are classified home.

However, those who are classified as overseas students are not qualified to apply.

Applicants with anything less than a 2.1 honours degree are not accepted.

To be considered for an interview, ScotGEM applicants must have sat the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) by the time they submit their application in UCAS.

UCAT

This is a multiple-choice aptitude test that is taken on a computer. Lasting 2 hours, this exam can cost from £65 to £80. There are many resources that can help you with this test, including courses and practise books.

Admission to European Medical Schools

Most European countries exclusively use the academic criteria to select their students for the majority of seats available in medical schools. This is true for the countries listed below.

  • Belgium
  • Finland
  • Greece
  • Italy
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Spain

In the countries listed above, admission into the 4 year medical schools in Europe is granted to the applicants with the best combination of high school GPA and grades in the national examinations, normally in biology, chemistry, physics, and math.

These national examinations have little resemblance to the SAT or MCAT, in as much as they consist of fewer, longer, and more complicated questions than the U.S. exams.

Some countries, Germany and the Czech Republic among them, employ both academic and non-academic systems.

Other European countries, such as the United Kingdom, combine academic and nonacademic criteria to select their students.

A 2006 study conducted by Parry et al. on 23 medical schools in England found that all medical schools combined academic and nonacademic criteria and only two did not interview candidates for admission.

Residency

Most European countries do not require an examination for admission to residency. We have countries such as Germany and the Czech Republic.

The selection of future medical specialists is made locally and by medical discipline depending on the internships vacancies( or their equivalent) in the hospitals.

Students are encouraged to apply to a hospital and are admitted to the available spots based on an assessment of their skills, enthusiasm, and so on.

In countries such as Belgium, specialization is restricted to a limited number of candidates and to have or be eligible for specialization, students must have a training plan that is approved by the licensing committee for the speciality concerned.

In France, Portugal, and Spain, medical graduates sit for a vast national examination, after which they can choose their area of specialization.

While Spain’s Examen Medico Interno Residente (MIR) can test any aspect of medicine, France’s Epreuves Classantes Nationales (ECN) and Portugal’s Exame da especialidade (EE) are restricted to certain pre-established topics. The latter only tests internal medicine topics.

What are the best Medical schools in Europe for American Students?

These medical schools below have English taught programs. They are all among the world’s best medical schools where you are certain of gaining the best medical experience.

  • University of Oxford
  • University of Cambridge
  • Karolinska Institute, Sweden
  • Imperial College London
  • UCL
  • Kings College London
  • University of Edinburgh
  • Heidelberg University, Germany
  • Sorbonne University France
  • Vrije Universiteit Brussel Faculty of Medicine

Universities with medical programs taught in English

Czech’s Republic’s Charles University First Faculty of Medicine, offer medical programs taught in English. There are other medical schools in this category and we will list them in our next article.

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