Medical Specialisation in Europe

Medical specialisation - Medical Residency in Europe

Medical specialization (Medical Residency traning programs) in Europe for foreigner’s specialists: Most of European Universities accept to foreign students for specialization and PhD studies.

The admission requirements and conditions to Medical Residency Programs depend on medical credentials, citizenships and language abilities of medical student. Note that medical residency students receive a salary for the work as a specialist in training in all West European Countries, while in most East European countries, the residency student must paid annually tuition fee for speciation.The tuition fees vary within diferent universities and internal medical residency programs.

Evaluation and improvement of medical residency training programs is the priority and not the setting up of qualifying examinations. Therefore, medical specialties are being intensively reconsidered in the all-European countries promoting improvement of educational training programs.

Medical specialization training (residency) in Europe takes place at the Medical University Hospitals or affiliated clinics and is full-time program in a position with duties pertaining to the curricula of respective medical specialties.  Every medical University, has a Commission of Professors for Postgraduate Education working directly with medical Universities, and admits to the Specialty State Examination only the candidates who have completed the respective specialization curricula successfully (medicine, dentistry or pharmacy).

To get into residency program in European Medical Universities in EEA member countries, European medical graduate students must pass successfully the entrance test.  Prior to final residency admission in Europe, medical postgraduate student (EU or non-EU candidates) should have good competency in national language of respective country or take a 9-month preparatory course.

Therefore, prospective international residency candidates in Romania who do not have good command of Romanian language are admitted to residency on condition the follow one-year Romanian language course.  After getting Romanian language certificate, postgraduate students from EEA member countries must seat for national entrance exam to the residency. Successful EEA candidate will get monthly salary during all residency period. Those from outside of EEA member countries are directly admitted presenting certificate of Romanian language, acceptance letter and prove of tuition fee payment. This is common procedure for most East European countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Poland etc.) with eventually slight differences.

Tuition fees for residency program in Europe for non-EEA students depend on country, university and specialty. It varies from 3600 Euro to 7700 Euros/year.  Tuition fee for national language Preparatory course varies from 2700 to 3600 Euros for one-year program.
Even if to get in Medical specialization in Europe is becoming more and harder, it is still possible for all graduate students who fulfill all requirements. The list of document required to apply to specialization in Europe may vary from country to country and university to university.

Requirement for Medical Residency program in Europe
Application Form for the specialty (vary universities);
Curriculum Vitae;
Notarized (authenticated) Copy of University Medical Degree, High Education academic certificate and records (transcrip) of completed medical education;
Medical Certificate ;
Certificate of competency or proficiency of national language (ex. Romania, Hungarian, German, Bulgarian, etc.. Those who do not speak the language, they first follow at least 6 months of langue before they start specialization;
Birth certificate;
Copy of passport;

Medical Specialization (Residency) in Europe

Medical universities in Europe offer a lot off specialisations (Medical Residency Programs). The list bellow is not exhaustive.

       Clinical specialties:

Clinical allergology and immunology: 4 years
Anaesthesia and intensive care: 5 years
Infectious disses: 4 years
Cardiology: 5 years
Dermato-venerology: 4 years
Diabetes mellitus, nutrition and metabolic diseases: 4 years
Endocrinology: 4 years
Medical expertise of work capability: 3 years
Clinical pharmacology: 4 years
Gastroenterology: 4 years
Medical genetics: 4 years
Geriatrics and gerontology 4 years  
Haematology: 4 years
Family medicine: 3 years
Emergency medicine: 5 years
Internal medicine: 5 years
Occupational medicine: 4 years
Sports medicine: 4 years
Nephrology: 4 years
Neonatology: 4 years
Neurology: 4 years
Paediatric neurology: 4 years
Medical oncology: 5 years    
Paediatrics: 5 years  
Pneumology: 4 years
Psychiatry: 4 years
Paediatric psychiatry: 4 years      
Radiotherapy: 4 years
Recuperation, physical medicine and balneology: 4 years
Rheumatology: 4 years

      Surgical specialties:

Cardiovascular surgery: 6 years
General surgery: 6 years
Oral and maxillo-facial surgery: 5 years
Paediatric surgery: 5 years
Plastic surgery – reconstructive microsurgery: 5 years
Thoracic surgery: 5 years
Vascular surgery: 5 years
Neurosurgery: 6 years
Obstetrics - gynaecology: 5 years
Ophthalmology: 4 years
Orthopaedics and traumatology: 5 years
E. N. T.: 4 years
Urology: 5 years

    Para clinical specialties:

Pathological anatomy: 4 years
Epidemiology: 3 years
Hygiene: 3 years
Laboratory medicine: 4 years
Forensic medicine: 4 years
Nuclear medicine: 4 years
Radiology and medical imaging: 4 years  
Public health and management: 4 years

Medical Specialisation in Dentistry in Europe
Dento-alveolar surgery: 3 years
Orthodontics and dento-facial orthopaedics: 3 years
Endodontics: 3 years
Parodontology: 3 years
Dental prosthetics:3 years
Maxillofacial Surger: 5 years
Orthodontics: 3 years.

Medical Specialisation in Pharmacy in Europe

Residency program in Pharmacy

Clinical pharmacy: 3 years
Pharmaceutical laboratory: 3 years

PhD programs in Pharmacy

Discipline Drug analysis
Discipline Pharmaceutical biochemistry and clinical laboratory
Discipline Pharmaceutical botany
Discipline Analytical chemistry
Discipline Organic chemistry
Discipline Pharmaceutical chemistry
Discipline Pharmacology
Discipline Pharmaceutical legislation
Discipline Pharmaceutical technology and bio pharmacy
Discipline Toxicology

Medical Residency program in Romania

To get into medical residency program in Romania, medical doctor must speak Romanian language or follow one year preparatory course of Romanian language prior to specialization. At the same time he must have sufficient found to finance the residency training program and living costs.
Medical residency training in Romania is designed for 3 to 6 years depending of specialization; and annual tuition fees vary from 3800 to 7000 Euros depending on medical schools and specialization.
The candidate to medical specialization in Romania must fulfill the requirements for postgraduate studies.