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The commitment for a Medical study place is the first major milestone on the path to becoming a doctor. Many exciting and instructive years await students at university. In addition to professional challenges, the topic of "finances" also accompanies the entire degree programme. But How much does it cost to study medicine and what financing options are available to students in Germany? You can find answers to these and other questions in this article:
This is how much it costs to study medicine in Germany
Studying at state universities is generally free of charge, apart from a semester fee of between €150 and €450. In some cities there are additional costs for optional semester tickets for public transport, in others the ticket is already included in the fee. In addition, there are living costs such as rent, WiFi, food and other everyday expenses, which average around €900 for students, but can vary significantly from city to city. When studying dentistry, there are also sometimes very high costs for materials and utensils for the practical courses, although these also vary depending on the university. For more detailed information, it is best to consult Contact us with the student council of the relevant university or students from higher semesters.
You can save money in student life, for example, by only borrowing books for university from the library or buying them second-hand in Facebook groups etc., living in student halls of residence or shared flats or using apps such as "Too Good To Go" for cheap food. Nevertheless, this is often not enough to finance the entire cost of living and, in the best case, a carefree leisure time. Fortunately, there are also opportunities to earn money alongside your studies in addition to any family support - sometimes even without working!
Part-time jobs during medical studies
It is generally possible to work in mini or small part-time jobs while studying medicine. Many hospitals even pay nursing assistants for medical students well above the minimum wage and assistants for blood collection services or hook holders in the operating theatre are also often needed. In addition to a secure salary, jobs in the medical field also offer the opportunity to gain practical experience early on in your studies and learn skills such as taking blood, inserting IVs or writing ECGs. The same applies to jobs for student assistants, who are often employed in research, but sometimes also in university teaching, for example as tutors. Hiwi positions are usually only paid minimum wage, but they also offer a great learning gain and enable networking with other students or in the working groups of the research institutes. The latter can be a great advantage, especially when applying for doctoral theses. To apply as a student assistant, you can either specifically ask clinics, practices or working groups for vacancies or search for job advertisements on their websites. There are often notice boards in universities and clinics with analogue job advertisements and some professors also offer job placement services. Tip: It is best to always have a cover letter specifically tailored to the position with your motivation, interests, strengths and previous CV ready and send it directly with your application!
If you're looking for a balance between your studies and a chance to socialise outside of university, you usually have a good chance of finding jobs in cafés or bars in university cities. It's best to speak directly to the waiters or owners of your favourite places and offer a trial job!
Flexible work in the home office is also possible as a student, for example as an editor for companies in the field of medicine. Job advertisements of this kind can usually be found on the respective websites or in various online job exchanges.
BAföG
BAföG is one way of financing studies for students whose families are unable to provide sufficient financial support for their university education. This is an educational grant, half of which must be repaid interest-free as a loan and the other half of which is a non-repayable educational grant. The maximum amount that has to be repaid is around €10,000 and only has to be paid back bit by bit from five years after the maximum funding period. The amount to be repaid can also be reduced by starting repayment earlier.
All students in Germany can apply for BAföG. However, whether and how much funding is ultimately paid out depends, among other things, on the student's circumstances, their parents' income and the chosen form of education; the maximum rate is currently €850.
The amount that can be claimed can be determined via the website bagög.de and applied for either online or via the Studierendenwerk.
Student loan and reverse intergenerational contract
As with the financing of other costly plans, there is also the option of taking out a loan when studying. This can be taken out at various conditions from many credit institutions, such as banks. These companies usually also offer free counselling sessions and information events. In contrast to BAföG, a loan must be repaid in full and with interest and is therefore more suitable for most people when studying abroad than at home.
An alternative to this are so-called reverse generation contracts, some of which are offered by private universities themselves or by organisations such as Opportunities-eg.de are offered. Students receive a certain amount of financial support during their studies and, in return, pay back a percentage of their salary once they reach a certain minimum income after graduation, thus enabling other students to continue their education. Here too, the exact conditions and offers vary, which is why it is worth researching your favourite universities in more detail.
Scholarships for medical studies
If you don't have the confidence to work alongside your studies but don't want to take on any loan debt, you can also apply for a Scholarship apply. Contrary to the common assumption that these are only awarded to students with top grades, they are also awarded for social and political commitment, sporting achievements or certain social circumstances, for example. In addition to financial support, scholarships usually also include non-material support, which can take the form of seminars and other non-university events. The range of scholarships on offer is very broad and the application processes can vary greatly. While some scholarships require you to be nominated or recommended by lecturers or teachers, others can be applied for independently.
You can find a good overview of some of the most important scholarships for medical studies and the respective conditions at Praktischarzt.de under the following link: https://www.praktischarzt.de/medizinstudium/medizin-stipendium/.
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