Study medicine in Switzerland: Entry Requirements and Tuition-Free Study
Have you ever considered Switzerland as a study destination? Imagine studying in this mountainous Central European country which is a home to numerous lakes, villages and the high peaks of the Alps. While Switzerland is known with its high standards in medical studies and inventions, it does also have an average-to-low cost of living comparable with other European destinations. Here, you will learn how to Study medicine in Switzerland: the Entry Requirements and how to get a tuition-free study in Switzerland.
Yes, for sure, there is a good balance as scholarships exist to enable both national and international students with poor financial capabilities fulfill their dreams of studying medicine in Switzerland.
Why Study Medicine in Switzerland?
Switzerland is preferred by international students because of the strong reputation the country has built over the years in its educational system. Despite this excellent educational system, the country has been accommodative to foreign students and continues to lend its support to international students without proper financial abilities to study medicine. There are so many scholarships for medical students in Switzerland, offered by either the government, universities or private organizations. The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Scholars and Artists is one example of such numerous scholarships available to foreign students to study in Switzerland fully funded.
The Cost of Medical Schools in Switzerland
Due to the high standard of education in Switzerland, the cost of study in most of most Swiss universities are also comparatively high. It will cost about $21,000 to $1,000,000 per year to study medicine in Switzerland. Despite this fact, there are Universities with low tuition in Switzerland and there are also a number of funding opportunities to help international students study in these world class universities.
How to get a Tuition-Free Study Opportunity to Study Medicine in Switzerland
It may be hard to find tuition free Universities in Switzerland but there are ways to go about it. The steps below will enable you achieve this aim as easily as possible.
- Make sure you are qualified and you submit an excellent application for admission. Know the various criteria, requirements and documents, and make sure you have all it takes. Submit your application as early as possible within the opening time of the scholarship.
- Apply only for affordable universities or medical schools in Switzerland.
- Apply for as many scholarships as possible in Switzerland. This is the best way to have all your costs covered by the Switzerland Government or other institutions
These are the major steps to take if you do not have enough funds to study medicine in Switzerland.
Basic Qualifications for Studying Medicine in Switzerland.
Studying Medicine in Switzerland in some of the top Universities can be achievable if you possess the following qualifications.
- You must pass the qualifying examinations for the specific University you are applying for.
- Excellent language proficiency scores in German and English Tests like IELTS, TOELF and TESTDAF.
- All applicants must pass the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET)
- You must have a valid passport
- For graduate entry, you must possess a Bachelor’s or diploma degree (a minimum 3-year course) from a recognized University in the world.
Entry Requirements to Study Medicine in Switzerland
When you possess all the required qualifications, below are summarily some of the documents that you must have to complete your application process;
- Language proficiency results
- The Results of the NEET exam
- A well written Curriculum Vitae or Resume
- A copy of your passport
- Some letters of recommendation.
- Your Educational Transcripts
- Statement of purpose.
Note again: these are just general entry requirements, specific requirements might be different from school to school.
Top Swiss Universities to Study Medicine
While we are not able to list all accredited institutions for studying medicine in Switzerland, we can be sure to present these five (5) universities which are well known among international students;
University of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne is one of the Universities in Switzerland that is sought after by a lot of international students, being one of the oldest with a very good reputation. It is ranked, 11th place in Europe and has about 1500 international students studying various courses.
University of Fribourg
This is one of the most preferred places to study medicine in Switzerland. The University has a very high acceptance rate for international students. They give a special focus to life sciences, nanomaterials and Biomedicine.
University of Zurich
The University of Zurich is ranked 76th place in the whole world and 14th place in the continent of Europe according to work University rankings. This University has about 28,000 enrolled students with a very high percentage being international students. The University of Zurich has one of the biggest faculties of Medicine in Switzerland.
Bern University
Just like the University of Zurich, The University of Bern also has one of the largest medical faculties in the country. For international students, the intake rate is very low, allowing only two to five slots per academic year. The University has some of the best facilities for training and high-quality medical education and research.
The University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is one of the places to get the best international medical education in the world. Having one of the highest intake ratios for international students, applicants to this university will need to pass the French Language proficiency test. The University of Geneva offers medical degrees in areas like neurosurgery, transplantation and Genetics.
Although, these are not the cheapest Universities you can find in Switzerland but they offer high quality medical education with the best facilities.
Scholarships in Switzerland for International Students
International students applying to study medicine in Switzerland can take advantage of the numerous scholarship opportunities to study in Switzerland fully funded or at least cover some part of their education costs in Switzerland. You can check the tag ‘Scholarships in Switzerland‘ for an endless list of scholarships or refer to our post on Top Switzerland Scholarships Without IELTS and explore even more opportunities.
