Czech Republic: Affordable destination to pursue medical studies

STUDY ABROAD

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is a country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast.

The country is known for its UNESCO world heritage monuments, historical towns, fairytale castles, beautiful parks, folklore traditions, and grand architecture that is a mix of Gothic structures, Renaissance palaces, and Baroque chapels. The Czech Republic is among the top 10 safest countries in the world with an active social life.

In recent times, we have seen many Indian students opting to pursue an MBBS in the Czech Republic. The MBBS colleges of the Czech Republic are recognised and accredited by some of the world’s renowned organisations like the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Medical Council of India (MCI).

Entry requirements into the Czech medical programmes include:

• 60% and above in Grade 12.
• Subjects in 12th grade or 2nd PUC should include Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and English.
• NEET exam is compulsory.
• An entrance exam is conducted by each University. These are MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions) in Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics.
• IELTS or TOEFL or PTE exam is mandatory to prove proficiency in English.

Most medical faculties in the Czech Republic offer a six-year general medicine programme, 5 years dentistry programme, and 5 years pharmacy programme. The leading universities that offer MBBS are Charles University, Palacky University, Masaryk University, University of Ostrava, and the University of West Bohemia.

Charles University was founded in 1348, making it one of the oldest universities in the world. Yet it is also renowned as a modern, dynamic, cosmopolitan, and prestigious institution of higher education. Charles University is ranked amongst the top 2 % of world universities. The university has five independent faculties of medicine. Three of them are located in Prague, one in Pilsen and one in Hradec Králové. These faculties offer English programmes in general medicine and dentistry. The degrees they award are comparable. Each section has its own entry requirements and entrance exams. All five faculties of medicine follow the historical tradition of medical teaching. Students can apply to all five medical faculties but will need to complete a separate application for each faculty.

Palacky University Olomouc established in 1573 as a public university is the second-oldest in the Czech Republic. Olomouc is a good place to study. The university has a fine record of good education and excellent research. The medical faculty is closely integrated into the clinical facilities of the university hospital.

During the first three years of the programme, students have compulsory classes in the Czech language as a good grasp of Czech is required for communication with patients and colleagues. The six-year General Medicine programme has been accredited by the US, Canada, and the Association of Medical Schools in Europe (AMSE).

Masaryk University in Brno is the second-largest university in the Czech Republic. Brno is the second-largest city in the Czech Republic after Prague. The Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk offers three full-time Master’s degrees taught in English- General Medicine, Dentistry and Physiotherapy.

The University of Ostrava is a public university in the city of Ostrava, Czech Republic. Founded in 1991, it is the newest public university in Ostrava. Ostrava University’s Faculty of Medicine ranks among Central Europe’s most modern centres of teaching and research in medical studies. The core degree programme offered by the faculty is the six-year Master’s degree in General Medicine (this Master’s degree does not require a prior Bachelor’s degree); this programme gives students a complete range of knowledge and practical skills that are necessary to pursue a career in medicine. The faculty works closely alongside the Ostrava University Hospital (which includes several highly specialized departments), the Ostrava City Hospital, the Vítkovice Hospital, and a range of other medical and healthcare institutions across the region, both in the public and private sectors.

University of West Bohemia in Pilsen founded in 1991, offers bachelor programmes in nursing, midwifery, and physiotherapy, and prepares future medical lab technicians, rescue paramedics, and orthotists/prosthetists. It also offers a follow-up master's programme in nursing.

The tuition fees in these universities vary from private universities to public universities. On average, they range between 10000 euros to 20,000 euros per year. Living expenses are 200 to 300 euros per month.

An Indian student who successfully completes the 6 years MBBS course in the Czech Republic can come back to India, appear for the MCI screening test, and start practising medicine. The Medical Council of India Screening Test, also known as the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination, is a licensure examination conducted by the National Board of Examinations in India.

People in Czechia are generally friendly and welcoming of foreigners. In smaller towns, communicating in English may be a challenge. So, if you are considering getting a PR in the Czech Republic and working there, it might help if you learn the local language. The Czech Republic offers free education in the Czech language to all nationalities, including Indian students. Those interested will be able to take a Czech language preparatory course in the Czech Republic before commencing their studies at a Czech university. If you want to enrol in an English-taught programme at a Czech University as a fee-paying student, you are still given the option to learn the local language either at a nominal cost or for free.

The Czech Republic being in the centre of Europe has easy access to a number of major cities across Europe via rail, road, or air. Prague and Brno are among the most highly ranked student cities in the world.