Medicine lateral entry: A roundabout way to study medicine

There are many ways to gain a place to study medicine. One option is to transfer from a degree programme you started abroad or from another subject. If you have already completed coursework, it is often possible for this to be recognised by the state examination office responsible for you. This means that you do not have to start in the first semester, but can start in a higher semester.

What exactly is a lateral entry into medical studies?

Career changers are students who are or were already enrolled in another degree programme and are switching to medicine. If these lateral entrants are able to submit certificates of achievement to the State Examination Office, it is often possible to start in a higher semester, thus shortening the duration of the degree programme.

For lateral entry, the applicant must either receive a study place directly via the university in question or be awarded it through a university admissions procedure. If you are thinking of studying medicine via lateral entry and fulfil the necessary requirements, you do not have to apply via hochschulstart.de, but directly to the universities.

Even if you are already studying medicine abroad but wish to return to Germany and study at a university there, you are considered a lateral entrant and must submit your application directly to the university and adhere to its application deadline.

Transfer from abroad to a German university

If you are already studying medicine at a university abroad and would like to continue your studies in Germany, this also counts as a lateral entry. Make sure you have your achievements abroad recognised in Germany in good time, as otherwise you will not be able to enter the stage of your studies that would actually correspond to your level of learning.

Before applying to your chosen university, obtain a letter of recognition from the state examination office responsible for you. Without such recognition, you have no chance of being able to continue your studies in the semester of your choice.

Unfortunately, the number of available study places is very limited, even in the higher semesters. For this reason, some medical students file a study place complaint in order to obtain the desired place. Medical study place in Germany after all.

Before applying, ask yourself when exactly you would like to change jobs. It often makes sense to try as early as possible. However, there are also some universities abroad that work specifically with German partner universities and thus enable a particularly large number of students to change universities after the Physikum.

From which subjects can career changers switch to medicine?

The prerequisite for admission to a higher semester is the recognition of previously acquired certificates that demonstrate your skills and knowledge. In Germany, this is only possible for the following degree programmes:

• Dentistry
• Pharmacy
• Biology
• Biochemistry
• Molecular biology
• Chemistry

The Examination Office generally does not recognise certificates from any other subjects, so in this case you can only start your medical studies in the first semester, regardless of whether you change to the summer or winter semester.

Does it make sense to first take an alternative degree programme with the aim of a later career change?

As places to study medicine are rare and most applicants are unable to find a place via hochschulstart.de, the Obtain a study placesome of these applicants bridge the waiting time until the next attempt by enrolling for another degree programme.

Students often deliberately choose a subject that allows them to switch to medicine later on. However, there is no guarantee that you will be successful in this way, as there are more applications than places available in the higher semesters.

Attempting to enter medical school as a lateral entrant is therefore only one of many options and not always the best choice, even if you meet the application deadline.

Alternatives to studying as a career changer

If medicine is your dream and you know for sure that you don't want to study anything else, you should know all the options for getting the coveted study place.

The NC is very high for human medicine and dentistry, which is why applications with a less than outstanding A-levels are often initially rejected if you cannot show any additional qualifications.

Whether you are a first degree student or trying to switch to a different degree programme as a lateral entrant, you may have the option of suing for a university place. In this way, you may still be able to Study medicine. Going abroad is also a way of getting into university relatively quickly. Another option is to start vocational training in a medical field. If you reapply for a medical degree programme, this will definitely be taken into account in the additional aptitude quota and also in the university selection process. Whether the application for a lateral entry is granted, on the other hand, is often somewhat questionable.

Which certificates can be used for lateral entry into a higher semester?

To be able to start a higher semester as a lateral entrant on a medicine or dentistry degree programme, you must have the relevant certificates recognised. You will need two major and two minor certificates that are recognised for medical studies in order to receive credit for one semester. The corresponding notice of credit transfer must be issued by the examination office responsible for you. Alternatively, it is also possible to have three or four major certificates recognised for one semester.

The exact crediting of the individual certificates is regulated in the licensing regulations. It is also important that you adhere to the deadlines set by the state examination office. Otherwise you can only apply for the next semester.

"Large" notes

The major certificates include proof of the following achievements:

• Practical course in biology for medical students
• Practical course in chemistry for physicians
• Practical course in physiology
• Practical course in molecular biology
• Practical course in biochemistry
• Physics for physicians
• Course and examination of macroscopic anatomy
• Course and examination of microscopic anatomy (histology)
• Psychology and sociology course

For all of these certificates, you will need a letter of recognition from the relevant state examination office. This is usually the state examination office of the federal state in which you were born. Exceptions apply to applicants born in Bremen, Brandenburg or abroad: the examination office in North Rhine-Westphalia is always responsible for these applicants.

"Small" notes

You can also have the smaller seminars and internships recognised as a career changer in human medicine or dentistry. These include, among others:

• Physiology seminar
• Anatomy seminar
• Biochemistry seminar
• Seminar on medical psychology and sociology
• Practical course for the introduction to clinical medicine
• Practical course in medical terminology

Just as for the major certificates, you will also need a letter of recognition from the state examination office responsible for you for the minor certificates.

If you have studied abroad, the courses may have a different name. Ask the examination office in good time whether these courses will be recognised as part of your application for a higher semester.

Professional experience is also a plus point for lateral entry

As already mentioned, vocational training can significantly increase your chances when applying to hochschulstart.de for the first semester. This is also the case if you start in a later semester of the degree programme.

If you have already worked in the healthcare sector, your chances increase significantly. Such experience shows that you already have many of the skills and knowledge that are important for prospective doctors. Your dream of passing the state examination in human medicine will come closer.

Only at a few universities does the programme start in the summer semester

At most universities in Germany, medical studies begin in the winter semester. Only a few universities accept first-year students for the summer semester. For lateral entrants, this means that they can only start with the odd-numbered semesters in the winter semester and only with the even-numbered semesters in the summer semester, regardless of whether they have already completed examinations and had them recognised by the state examination office.

Legal action in case of rejected lateral entry

A rejected lateral entry into a medical degree programme is a disappointment for applicants. However, you may be able to help yourself by filing a lawsuit. The aim of such a complaint is to challenge the rejection of your study place in court and significantly improve your chances.

You must submit all relevant documents, such as the letter of recognition and your previous academic achievements, by the deadline. Lateral entrants can only submit a complaint for the individual university. For example, if you apply for a study place in Düsseldorf, you cannot automatically receive a place in Berlin because none can be provided in Düsseldorf.

However, it is possible to sue several universities at the same time to ensure that they have to provide a study place.

A structured approach is important for a successful study place application

It is important to proceed systematically in order to successfully win a university application. An experienced lawyer can help you to proceed in the right order and meet all deadlines.

You should work closely with this lawyer during the proceedings. Contact us by e-mail or telephone, as several steps with corresponding deadlines are usually required to file a claim for medical studies.