Studying medicine in Germany has always been a matter of good marks in secondary education. Only one in four applications is accepted. Those who are cleverer than their report card states, know that there are legal backdoors through which admission to medical universities can be claimed– a fact which has earned them the nickname “Quincies” (after Dr. Quincy, a strong-willed forensic coroner and TV character). But most others just pursue studies abroad, e.g. in Hungary, Austria and the UK.

The era of medical exodus, however, might have come to an end. Not because German universities have lowered their admission criterion, the infamous “numerus clausus”, but because – for the first time – a foreign university is awarding medical degrees on German soil. The “Semmelweis University Budapest“ has created a branch in Hamburg in cooperation with the Asklepios clinics. A market niche, it allows German medical students to start their education in Hungary (in German) and to finish off in Germany, offering a German curriculum and a Hungarian degree.

This may sound trivial, but the tuition fees at Semmelweis are certainly not, exceeding € 10 000 per year. So while there is a theoretical alternative for German medical students, it might still be cheaper to go the legal way: we haven’t seen the last Quincy yet.

Semmelweis University