Study medicine scholarship - a guide

A medical scholarship can be a considerable help in financing your medical studies. The financial support allows you to concentrate better on your studies. Whether pre-clinical, clinical, practical year, doctoral thesis or even as a fully qualified doctor who wants to work in research: there is a suitable scholarship for almost every stage. In this article, we would like to give you a comprehensive overview of the various options and the associated challenges.

What are medical scholarships and how do they work?

A medical scholarship goes hand in hand with financial support. This supports medical students on their career path, as they have to work less or not at all during the semester and can concentrate better on their studies and the associated learning.

The expenses covered by the funding amount can vary greatly from one medical scholarship to another. In some cases, only tuition fees are paid, other scholarships finance books and materials, while others also cover living expenses.

Scholarship providers are often foundations, clinics and associations. They look for certain criteria when you apply for the scholarship. These may include certain achievements or membership of a particular group.

While many scholarships are only awarded for studying in Germany, some also allow you to Study medicine abroad.

As the number of scholarships to be awarded is limited, not every applicant can receive a medical scholarship, even if they fulfil all the criteria of the relevant scholarship programmes.

Requirements for a medical scholarship

The requirements for scholarship holders vary depending on the scholarship provider and scholarship programme.

Many medical scholarships are so-called scholarships for gifted students, which is why outstanding school or academic achievements are required.

Many scholarship programmes also require social commitment or certain previous experience.

It is also common that you have to prove that you need the financial support. Someone who could easily pay for their medical studies themselves will in most cases not be able to take part in a corresponding programme to support medical students.

It is generally advisable to take a close look at the website and other information material of the foundation or scholarship provider in question. This will tell you which requirements you need to fulfil in order to be considered for the scholarships in question.

Grants for the supply of certain regions

There are scholarships that are specifically offered by certain districts or regions in order to attract doctors to this region. If you accept such a scholarship, you commit to working as a doctor in the region in question for a certain period of time.

If you are interested in regional funding, take a close look at the content of the scholarship agreement: Students are often specifically sought who want to specialise in certain areas later on. Many of the stipulated scholarships also offer an exit option: if you decide at a later date that you do not want to work in the area agreed at the beginning of the scholarship, you can withdraw, but you will then have to repay the amount of money paid for your scholarship.

There are special scholarships for each part of the medical degree programme

Not every medical scholarship covers the entire length of the degree programme. In some cases, scholarships are limited to a very specific period of study.

In some cases, for example, first-year students have the opportunity to receive funding to make it easier for them to start studying medicine at university. However, scholarships with a limited scope are much more frequently aimed at advanced medical students.

In particular, it is possible that you can only receive a scholarship from the clinical part of your studies and that you must have already distinguished yourself with special achievements during the pre-clinical part.

Special scholarships for doctors during their clinical traineeship

Even during a Clinical traineeship medical students can receive a scholarship in some cases. These scholarships are often awarded by clinics in districts where there is a shortage of doctors in certain specialities. These clinics would like to attract your attention through a funded clinical traineeship and possibly recruit you as an employee after your state examination.

Scholarship during the practical year (PJ)

You may also be able to finance parts of the practical year with a scholarship. This primarily applies to a scholarship in the area of GP care in rural areas. This is because there is sometimes a great shortage here, which the affected regions try to compensate for by supporting medical students accordingly.

Combining scholarships: What is allowed?

In many cases, it is perfectly permissible for students to combine several scholarships. In this way, you can top up the sometimes quite low funding amounts and receive a little more.

However, be sure to check the websites of the associations that offer the scholarships in question. If you are unsure, it is better to ask in person to avoid problems and reclaims later on.

Foundations and associations often allow the combination with other grants as long as the total amount does not exceed a certain limit. It is important to inform yourself about this in order to get a clear overview of your options.

How to increase your chances of receiving a scholarship

In order to have the best possible chance of receiving a scholarship, medical students should start their search as early as possible and then submit their application promptly.

It is best to create a list with a selection of all the scholarships you are eligible for. Even if these cannot be combined with each other, you should definitely apply for all of them. If you are accepted for several but cannot accept them all, it is not a problem to turn down one scholarship and opt for the one you are more interested in instead.

Regardless of whether you want to study in Germany or abroad, it is important to get those responsible for the scholarship on your side and convince them that you deserve it. A strong letter of motivation and recommendations from teachers, professors or clinics can make all the difference. So don't be afraid to ask the people concerned for such letters so that you can get off to a well-funded start as a doctor.

Are there also reasons that speak against a scholarship?

Although a scholarship can relieve you of some or all of the costs incurred during the semester, there are still reasons that may speak against such a scholarship. Some scholarships involve a long-term commitment. If, for example, you have no interest in working in a clinic that stipulates this in its scholarship conditions, you should not apply for the scholarship in question.

Further opportunities to receive financial support as a medical student

Although there are numerous organisations that award scholarships to medical students, not everyone receives such a scholarship.

Some medical scholarships are also more of a small "cash injection" and only cover a small part of the total costs. Fortunately, there are some other good financial support options for students of human medicine.

The dream of studying medicine should not fail because of money. If the scholarship doesn't work out, you should therefore go through the other options, draw up a solid financial plan for your studies and then submit your application for one of the following funding options if necessary.

BAföG

The Federal Training Assistance Act (BAföG) is one of the best-known financial assistance programmes for medical students and students of other disciplines in Germany.

You can apply for this funding before you start your degree programme. In most cases, BAföG is dependent on your parents' income. The fewer opportunities they have to support you financially during your medical studies, the higher the monthly amount paid.

Half of the money is paid out as a grant and half as an interest-free loan. Students must repay this loan after completing their studies. The instalments are moderate, so repayment should not normally be a problem.

If you have any questions about this type of financial support, you can contact the relevant office at your university. They will provide you with all the information you need and support with the application process.

Reverse intergenerational contract

A relatively modern support programme is the reverse generation contract. Here, students receive money from a fund during their studies. Similar to scholarship holders, these students can then concentrate fully on their studies without having to worry about financing their medical studies.

In contrast to a scholarship, you have to give something back with the reverse generation contract. Unlike other funding programmes, however, the contract does not specify the amount you have to repay from the outset. This depends on your income.

The idea behind it is logical: if you earn more, you can pay more into the fund than someone who earns less. For a certain funding period after graduation, you are therefore a sponsor and pay a certain percentage of your doctor's salary into the fund, which is then used to finance the next generation of students.

The reverse generation contract is not only available in Germany. You may also be able to use it to finance your studies abroad.

Student loan

Another way to cope with the costs incurred each semester is a student loan. This is offered by various banks at affordable conditions for students.

Unlike scholarships, the amount borrowed, including interest, must of course be repaid with a student loan. However, the conditions are favourable, as medical students do not have to repay the loan until they are already a doctor. The income from your medical work makes it easy for you to manage the repayments.

When looking for a student loan that suits you, make sure that the loan agreement has everything you need for a carefree study programme. Compare different offers and see which ones make it onto your shortlist. It is best if you have a certain monthly credit limit so that you only have to use as much of the loan amount as you really need.