What is it actually like to study Medicine in Europe?

This is a guest post by Dr.Sam El Mais, M.D; a British doctor who graduated from Craivo Medical University in Romana and specialised in Internal Medicine.

What is it like to study in Europe? Many students share worries about this particular topic. It’s only natural if you have some worries too. After all, you consider spending at least 5 years of your life in a country you know too little about. You don’t know the price of food, electricity, water. What are the people there like? What are the laws?

There is so much you don’t know that it might be overwhelming. But in reality, studying in Europe isn’t bad at all.

In many countries, admission fees and living expenses are much lower than what you’d expect in the UK or the US. The quality of food products is excellent- you can expect great meals from most local restaurants. Locals are nice people, and your classmates are going to welcome you too. You will meet many international students just like you, and you will continue being friends with some of them for the rest of your life. You will have the opportunity to experience a different culture. To learn about their traditions, architecture, folklore, language and much more! Experiences like that really broaden your horizon!

Let me tell you more about Europe…

Explore a different culture

A culture might be something more than you think. Culture is an accumulation of wisdom of an entire nation. You might see it in the educational system, ways how people behave, architecture, politics, cuisine, folklore, and more!

This is why when you start learning more about a different culture, you learn a lot of knowledge in many areas. It makes you more adaptive. For example, the saying: “What gets measured, gets done” has arguably originated in the Holy Roman Empire, but nowadays it is used worldwide. Especially in business fields! It helps many managers set goals properly and understand how to achieve them. This is just one of the examples of how beneficial one saying can be. And a single culture can have thousands of them.

Culture is also inspirational. It is often embedded in art, music and architecture. France is a very beautiful country, and sometimes there are more tourists than France’s population! The beauty of their cathedrals and art cannot be measured in economic terms. This is how powerful art and culture is. Music is also very powerful and inspiring. Haven’t we all had that one song stuck in our minds playing over and over again?

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Get world-wide renowned education for cheap!

Europe offers a lot to its students in terms of education. Universities in Europe have always ranked among the top universities worldwide! They also provide top-notch education that is equivalently good across all of the European regions while maintaining low tuition fees. Because these universities are so well-known, it also means that your diploma will be highly respected too.

This gives you tremendous opportunities in terms of excellent career paths. No matter in which field you study – Business, Medicine, Law, and other fields. For example, currently, many large and small companies search for students with international experiences – people who “have left their comfort zones”.

Befriend many international students

Sometimes studying abroad will be an emotional rollercoaster. You are going to live in a relatively unknown environment. Will it be worth it? Absolutely! Because your friends will be there for you. You will meet incredible students from all over the world! So besides diving into the culture of the country where you decided to study, you will be able to connect with people from all over the world. For example, people from Germany, UK, Poland, Sweden and many more, choose to study abroad.

The best thing about this is that all of the students are going to a university to study a specific course. This means that all of you already have common interests. Let’s say you want to study medicine in Europe. You are bound to meet many people with similar interests, aspiring to become doctors just like you. You will spend at least 5 years with other students so you will probably find people, with whom you will continue being friends until the rest of your life.

You will connect with many international students, but don’t forget about the locals! If you befriend a local person, they can become your best friend! They will help you learn the language faster and will teach you a lot about the city you are going to live in.

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Have someone to share your worries with

Humans are social creatures. So, every once in a while, you will feel lonely. You will miss your home, relatives, friends, various places. It’s natural, and it’s okay to feel this way. 

However, if you open up about it to other international students, you will see that they miss their families too. Perhaps without realising it, you will share your experiences and worries which will help you connect with them. I believe it’s beautiful that we can connect and bond with others like that, even when we are lonely.

You can become a professional anywhere you want

Many European universities are acknowledged all over the world. However, in some cases, when you return back home, you will have to hold a certain exam to get approved as a professional. For example, in the UK, medical graduates will soon have to hold an exam like UKMLA (UK Medical Licensing Assessment). But even the students who didn’t go abroad and continued to study in the UK have to take the exam.

Everyone gets equal treatment which is another great thing about the European education. For example, I know many students who after studying abroad, returned to the UK and became very successful doctors. There are also people who fell in love with the country in which they studied and continued living and pursuing their careers there.

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Low fees = avoid debt!

Education in the UK and the US can cost tremendous amounts of money. For example, annual tuition fees in universities like Stafford, Cambridge, and others can reach around 200 000. 

Not all families can afford it. This is why many have to take student debts. But I bet that you won’t feel that good graduating with a 100 000 euro debt.

On the other hand, you can go and study abroad in other parts of Europe and get an equally good education.

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Living abroad is nothing less than a life-changing experience. 

You get to dive into so many different cultures, meet other great minds with whom you might become best friends for the rest of your life. You get some many more career doors opening to you too. And you get all that while saving money thanks to the low admission fees.

So be bold and study abroad. You are young only once!