The requirements for entering the field of medicine in Switzerland
Switzerland provides doctors with an extremely high quality of life, superior and top medical schools and very high salaries and incomes. For this reason, getting admitted to the medical colleges and universities in this country is very competitive for the citizens of Switzerland and is even more competitive for international students. In fact, many colleges are not allowed to accept/admit foreign students (international students). Medical courses in Switzerland follow the same methods of medical education in France, in which the possibility of being rejected in various medical courses after the first year of education is very high. In order to study medicine in Switzerland which is a trilingual country, it is necessary for you to be fluent in the language of your medical education, and this is mandatory for studying medicine in Switzerland.
Medical students in Switzerland begin their education by studying general medical sciences such as anatomy and biology before moving on to clinical studies and pursuing a specialty. You can expect a medical course in Switzerland to last between 5 to 7 years, depending on the type of the education you choose.
In the Comments section, you can also ask your questions and answer them in a short time.
Topics reviewed in this article:
Medical universities in Switzerland
In the following a summary of 4 of the top medical universities in Switzerland for studying medicine in this country will be given. These universities are very popular all over Europe, and the graduates of these universities are undoubtedly able to continue their studies and work all over the world. The following is a summary of four of the top universities in Switzerland:
ETH Zurich: This medical university is located in Zurich and it is ranked 11th in the world ranking, which is an excellent ranking among all of the universities in the world. The average annual tuition fee at this university is 1160 Swiss francs.
University of Zurich: The University of Zurich has a wide variety of disciplines/fields of study in all sciences, especially medicine, and its global ranking according to the statistics provided in 2018-2019 was 90. The average tuition fee for this university is 1440 Swiss francs for undergraduate courses and 780 Swiss francs for postgraduate courses.
- Basel University: This university is one of the top universities in Switzerland in the field of medicine and is ranked 3rd in this country and 103th in the world. The average tuition fee at this university is 1700 Swiss francs per year.
- University of Lausanne: According to the Times in 2018-2019, the global ranking of this university was 176, and it can be said that it is ranked fourth in Switzerland. This university is located in the city of Lausanne. This university was founded in 1537 as a school of technology. According to statistics, 15,000 students and 3,300 employees were studying at this university in 2017.
The required documents for university admission and tuition fees in Switzerland
Although Switzerland is not a member of the European Union, this country allows EU citizens to study at its universities. EU students who are studying at a medical college in Switzerland must register with the local registry office within 14 days after arriving in this country to study medicine in Switzerland and must also provide the following documents:
- A valid passport
- Evidence of enrollment in a medical university in Switzerland
- Evidence of financial ability to support yourself
- Evidence of your accommodation
- Insurance
Tuition fees in Switzerland are relatively cheap compared to other European countries. There are also small differences between the tuition fees for local (Swiss) and international students, which in most of the European countries it is not usually like that. For example, the costs of medical education in Switzerland for international students varies from 1,500 francs to more than 10,000 francs per year, depending on their field of study. Students outside of the EU, in addition to the documents that have been mentioned above, must provide these documents that are required to get a visa.
- Proof and evidence of paying for the university or medical college fees
- Book an appointment with the embassy at least 4 to 6 weeks before applying for a visa
- Proof of financial ability to pay for education and living expenses
- Passport photo
- Show documents to prove you have a place of residence (accommodation) or your address in Switzerland
- Complete the visa application form
Study in other fields of medical sciences in Switzerland
The three main and most high-demand fields in the medical sciences are described below:
- Pharmacology
Studying pharmacy in Switzerland requires taking and passing an entrance exam; It should be noted that this exam is very competitive for international students. Study conditions vary from university to university. But generally, topics that are related to chemistry, physiology, making and recognizing drugs, and biology are considered and taught in the field of pharmacy. Students who are studying pharmacy in Switzerland at the end of their studies are fully acquainted with a variety of methods that are prescribed by doctors, a variety of drugs, prescription methods, clinical practice, body postures and …. As mentioned, the study conditions in different universities should be considered. One of these conditions is the cost of education. Tuition fees at the public universities of Switzerland are different from tuition fees at the private universities in Switzerland. Moreover, the common language of instruction at the public and private universities is different. Studying in Switzerland in the Swiss language and at public universities costs between 100 and 1500 Euros per year; While studying in Switzerland in English and in its private universities, costs between 1500 to 16000 Euros per year. It should be noted that working conditions after studying and graduation in Switzerland are very favorable and good for the field of pharmacy and this profession is one of the most lucrative jobs.
- Dentistry
Studying dentistry in Switzerland is similar to many other countries, including Europe and the United States. Dental education courses are generally five years long, in the first 3 years the dental and medical courses are taught to students and in the next 2 years the training is practical and clinical. After completing their studies, graduates must pass a medical licensing test. Some students take one- or two-year internships to specialize in some of the branches of dentistry, such as orthodontics and maxillofacial surgery. Before studying medicine in Switzerland, applicants must complete a bachelor’s degree in a related field and get a degree. After taking pre-medical courses, applicants must take the university entrance exam and be get admitted to these courses to continue their studies in this field. like other fields of medical education in Switzerland, students in these courses, in addition to the specialization and practical sciences of dentistry, must Improve their social skills and relationships with the others and teamwork.
In dentistry, the interesting thing is that the credits/courses of the first 3 years of your education are similar to the credits/courses of medical students. And in the next 2 years, there will be a strong focus on dentistry and practical dentistry in colleges. Passing the final dental exam, which is held at the end of 10 semesters of studying, is required to continue studying in this field and also to get an advanced MAS degree in specialization branches of dentistry.
- Nursing
Applicants for nursing education must have earned good grades during their high school years and must have already graduated from nursing schools in this country. University nursing courses in Switzerland are offered in different languages, but most of the universities offer courses in English. However, according to the fact that the working conditions in the German-speaking part of Switzerland are very good, it is better for the graduates of this field to have a good knowledge of the German language. Nursing courses are offered as one of the branches of medical education in Switzerland in most of the top universities in this country, but to attend these courses, which usually last four years, you must take the university entrance exam and pass it. Generally, the average income of nurses in Switzerland is 8012 Swiss francs per month, which is equivalent to 7371 Euros, which is a very good figure considering the cost of living in Switzerland.
Medical education in Switzerland and getting a visa
According to the official website of Federal Department of Justice and Police of Switzerland, the place where you apply for your visa will depend on where you live. Generally, you can apply for a student visa in Switzerland at the following locations:
- Directly at the consulate or the embassy of Switzerland in the country of origin
- Fill out an online form on the website of Swiss Embassy
- • Offices that provide foreign visa services
- The consulates of Switzerland in other Schengen countries
The visa issuance process for studying medicine in Switzerland takes approximately six to twelve weeks. The cost of applying for a visa is usually around 60 euros.
The main documents that are required to apply for a student visa for medical education in Switzerland or other methods of education in this country are as follows:
- Valid passport (valid for at least three months longer than what you planned the duration of your stay will be)
- Four new photos with passport dimensions
- Three complete forms for applying for a long-term residence visa (Type D visa)
- Letter of acceptance from the destination university
- Proof of sufficient financial ability (such as bank statement, scholarship, etc.)
- Resume
- Proof of language proficiency (Depending on the type of course you have chosen, languages such as German, French or English may also be taught.)
- Prove that you have a health insurance
- Proof of Payment for the course you have taken
- Motivation Letter (in which the person declares his / her conditions and interests and the reasons for studying medicine in Switzerland).
- A written commitment that you will leave the country after completing your program or graduation.
In certain circumstances you may be required to provide additional documentation, so use the list which is mentioned above as a reference. Note that you may be asked to participate in an interview. Your university may be able to advise and guide you on applying for a visa, but it is recommended that you contact the nearest embassy or consulate for any questions or additional information.
Generally, EU students will be able to work up to 15 hours a week during a semester. These conditions will be available for students outside the EU after six months of their arrival. Graduates can also stay in the country for six months after graduation and look for a job.
Working after studying medicine and graduation in Switzerland
Graduates who are originally from outside of the Europe Union are allowed to stay in Switzerland for six months after graduation and look for a job in Switzerland, so that they can find a job depending on their specialty and field of study, in order to be able get a residence permit in this country. In order to be allowed to look for a job after studying and graduation in Switzerland, you must have the following three basic requirements.
- Letter of graduation in the desired course
- Prove that you are in an appropriate financial conditions in this period
- Convenient place of residence (accommodation)
It is important to note that people are allowed to work a maximum of 15 hours per week during this six-month period, and this six-month period cannot be extended. On the other hand, those who have completed medical education in Switzerland or other fields of study in this country can apply for higher education in this country. It is worth mentioning that in very special circumstances, parts of your study or training time in Switzerland can be counted as a part of the time which is required to get a residence permit in Switzerland. These courses are counted when a person has the ability to prove that he or she can get a permanent residence permit two years after graduation. Generally, foreigners can get a permanent residence in Switzerland if they have resided in this country for at least 10 years, whether short-term or long-term, and have resided in this country without interruption in the last 5 years of their residence permit. There are special circumstances for getting a permanent residence permit in a shorter period of time.
The unemployment rate in Switzerland is less than 5%. Unemployment rates in Austria and Denmark, which are among the most important and influential countries in the European Union, are around 5%.
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!