Hi!

Has anyone here studied medicine in a language other than their native language or English?

I’d love to hear about your experience, particularly how difficult you found the language barrier and medical terminology.

Hi everyone,

I’m 32 and currently work in marketing for a major fashion brand in France. By most objective measures, I’m in a pretty good position for my age: I earn good money, have a stable job, and have decent career prospects. I don’t have any major financial or professional problems, so I know I’m fortunate.

The issue is that I’m increasingly struggling to see myself doing this for the next 30 years.

I’ve become quite disillusioned with corporate marketing. A lot of my work revolves around selling products, brand strategies, corporate politics, presentations, and discussions about things that ultimately don’t feel particularly important to me. I don’t feel especially motivated by the idea of climbing the corporate ladder or eventually becoming a marketing director.

At the same time, I know I could continue on this path, make even more money, and probably build a very comfortable life. Walking away from that would mean giving up a lot of what I’ve already worked to achieve.

For some time now, I’ve been seriously considering going back to university to study medicine.

What attracts me is the idea of doing intellectually challenging work that has a tangible impact on people’s lives. I like the thought of solving real problems, developing genuine expertise, helping patients, and doing something that feels useful to society. I’m also drawn to the idea of having a profession with a clearer purpose than what I currently do.

Another appeal is the potential for long-term professional stability and the ability to work in different parts of the country, rather than having to live in a major city to access good career opportunities.

My biggest concern is the opportunity cost. If I started medical school now in France, I could be around 40 or older by the time I finished my training, depending on the path I took. I would have to deal with years of reduced income, give up my current professional momentum, and start over while many of my peers were reaching senior positions and earning much more.

On the other hand, I could still have 25–30 years of working life ahead of me. Is it really sensible to stay in a career I’m not passionate about simply because I’m already doing well financially?

I’d particularly appreciate honest perspectives from doctors, medical students, and people who have made major career changes later in life.

A few questions I’d love to hear your thoughts on:

• Is starting medical school at 32 a reasonable decision, especially when you already have a comfortable career?
• How difficult is it to manage the financial, academic, and personal realities of medical training as a mature student?
• For those working in medicine, does the reality of the profession match what you imagined before entering it?
• Is it possible to build a sustainable medical career while protecting time for hobbies, relationships, and travel?
• If you were in my position, would you seriously consider this change, or would you try to find a more meaningful career without starting from scratch?

I’m not looking for reassurance that it’s never too late to change careers. I’d genuinely appreciate arguments against this decision, including reasons why medicine might not be the answer I’m hoping it will be.

Thanks for reading, and I appreciate any honest advice.

Hello everyone, i am currently a grade 12 student with good grades from canada looking into doing a physiotherapy/ bachelor of kinesiology undergraduate abroad. I would like to know your guys opinion on it as i have gone quite in depth into schools like CEU San Pablo, Charles University, and Universidad Europea, thanks!

Is anyone else starting first year at MU Varna this year? Would also love to hear from any seniors who have experience with the online students.

For those studying online, how are the studies and quizzes/exams structured? Is it basically the same material and assessments as the in-person students, or is it different?

And for anyone already studying at Varna, how is it overall? Would love to hear what first year is actually like.

And any tips for 1st year?

Hey everyone, looking for some honest perspectives from people who switched careers into medicine later.

I've always had a genuine interest for medicine, but I ended up taking a different path graduating with a Computer Science degree and have been working in the tech industry for a bit. The bottom line is that I really don't enjoy the work, and the thought of doing this for decades feels draining. Because of that, I've been seriously considering pivoting to medicine.

If I take this leap, I will be 26 when I start, meaning I will be 32 by the time I graduate, with residency adding another 3 to 5 years after that depending on the specialty. On the financial side, I have enough saved to cover my tuition and living expenses for the entire 6 years. However, that is subsistence money, meaning no traveling freely and very little room to enjoy my late 20s beyond just getting by.

My main concern is whether I will regret spending the remainder of my 20s back at square one. Going from having financial independence to living on a student budget while watching peers build savings and travel feels intimidating.

For those of you who started med school in your mid-20s, did you feel like you sacrificed your prime youth, and was the eventual fulfillment worth giving up your earning potential? I would really appreciate any thoughts or regrets from people who walked this path.

Thanks for reading!!!

I'm an MD1, really struggling with anatomy and am on the free trial on kenhub. I really like the system, but am wondering if it is better to buy lifetime or 3, 3 month packs (It'll be a difference of around 24 euros cheaper if I do the 3 month packs). I go at Jagiellonian University in Poland and from what I saw in the syllabus, it may be rare that I'll use kenhub after MD1, but if someone has a special opinion on this or on the platform kenhub, please share. Thanks!

Hello everyone!

I am a 4th year medical student from Greece and I really want to participate in a IFMSA clinical exchange for a month.My first option is korea mainly because it's a completely different country and continent,but i am worried that the language barrier will be too much even though I'd say I am quite proficient at english.Has anyone done a clinical exchange to korea or any other country and wants to perhaps share their experience?

Thanks to anyone that reads this and responds!

Bonjour à tous,

Je viens de terminer ma médecine générale avec un diplôme obtenu hors de l'Union européenne, et je prépare mon arrivée en France. Mon objectif est de décrocher un premier poste à l'hôpital, en FFI ou en Stagiaire Associé, pour me former sur le terrain et construire mon parcours.

Je me renseigne beaucoup, mais les infos sont éparpillées, et j'aimerais vraiment des retours de personnes qui l'ont vécu :

Comment avez-vous trouvé votre premier poste ? Annonces, bouche-à-oreille, candidature spontanée ?

Si vous avez contacté directement des services, qu'est-ce qui a fait la différence dans votre mail ?

Si c'était à refaire, quelle erreur éviteriez-vous dans vos démarches ?

Si quelqu'un travaille dans un hôpital et accepte d'échanger quelques minutes en message privé, ce serait très précieux.

Merci d'avance pour votre aide !

It seems like every residency path in the EU is apparently closed or extremely hard to get into according the posts I see here quite often. 'UK is closed' 'Germany is done' 'France is incredibly competitive' 'Ireland is impossible.' What I mentioned was in virtue of EU graduates, let alone IMGs whose only hope was the UK.

Is this actually the case? All of this seems unrealistic provided that Europe has a very high rate of healthcare retirement and high percentage of elderly people which should incentivize governments to hire more medical professionals. Also, is this trend - provided it is real - expected to change in the next few years?

I hope to get factual answers instead of the usual vague comments. Much appreciated.

Hey guys, i am a IMG, currently in 4/6 years of university.

I am learning German to pursue a residency in vascular or orthopedic surgery in Germany, with the goal of living there long-term. I currently have a B2/weak C1 level, but I am still studying.

My question is: I've been binge-watching videos about surgical residencies, and I notice a lot of people complaining about a lack of hands-on, practical training. Many say they aren't allowed to perform surgeries for whatever reason, and even those in clinical residencies complain about a lack of practice. Is this a real issue or is it just fear-mongering

Has anyone heard anything about the Faculty of Medicine at St. Kliment Ohridski University in Sofia? It's sitting in the 751–760 range globally, yet I haven't been able to find a single post or discussion about it anywhere. People almost always default to the Medical University of Sofia instead. It just feels kind of sketchy and bizarre that a university with that kind of global ranking has virtually zero online footprint regarding its med program

Hi everyone,

I recently graduated from medical school in Spain (EU degree) and am looking to apply for my German Approbation, specifically in Saarland (via the Landesamt für Soziales / Landesprüfungsamt).

However, I find myself trapped in a classic Catch-22:
1. The Authority: To establish jurisdiction (Zuständigkeit) in Saarland, the licensing board requires either proof of residency (Meldebescheinigung/Anmeldung) or a concrete job offer / intent to hire (Einstellungszusage / Absichtserklärung).
2. The Hospitals: When reaching out to hospitals, they often state that they cannot issue an Einstellungszusage without me already holding an Approbation.
3. Residency: Since I am currently based outside Germany, renting an apartment and completing an Anmeldung just to initiate the application isn't realistically feasible.

For those who have gone through this process (especially in Saarland or similar Bundesländer):
- Alternative Proof of Jurisdiction: Have they accepted documented proof of ongoing job applications, interview invitations, or a formal letter explaining intent to practice in the state?
- Enforcement: In practice, how strictly does the Saarland licensing board enforce this requirement for EU graduates? Is there any flexibility, or will they reject the file outright without a signed intent to hire?

Any advice, personal experiences, or tips on navigating this with the Saarland authority would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!

I’m from a wartorn country with no jobs and no safety etc, I’ll soon go to Hungary for medicine and was looking at future prospects of residency post graduation. Obviously I can’t go back to my own country and till now Germany used to be the best for EU med school graduates but ever since the new reforms that’s closed and the UK is also done for with extreme over saturation in all Anglosphere countries, USMLE etc is also super uncertain and difficult. I know I’m thinking too far ahead but I’d like to have at least somewhat of a future plan, during my six years of studies there should I dedicate time to reach C1 Hungarian? I know doctor pay is very low but as long as it’s a stable life and I can get a passport I’d be okay with it. Somethings better than nothing.

I'm a 5th year med student in romania and the past few days i've been seriously thinking about going to residency in france. I know the competition is insane but I'd like to do psychiatry, which is one of the least competitive specialties in france. Do you guys think it would be worth a shot considering that i'd have about one year to prepare for the edn exam? Thanks.

Can anyone please give me cost estimate idea that a person usually required to spend in pleven during med studies?
Im currently in confusion, what are the cost like books, semester exam fees, library membership or any other membership.
Im just aware of 9k euro tuition. Rest is all unsure.

Im not from the EU and im interested in doing my residency from Germany . Saw a post here quite a while ago quoting because of the reforms it ll get much harder to get into residency . I preferably want psychiatry but kind of anything works for me . Im pretty geographically flexible as well . Dont mind living in towns or villages . So , shall i pursue the pathway or its practically over for mee

I might need some reseach articles for my CV but I'm confused as to how to get them. My university doesn't have all that many projects and I would like to look for alternatives somewhere else. Any trustworthy options?🥹 Please and thank u!!

Hi!! Next summer I would like to do a 2-month Erasmus Traineeship (between my 4th and 5th year of medical school).

I'm strongly drawn to Scotland, Ireland, Iceland and Scandinavia.

If anyone has experience, where do you suggest to go? And how did you manage the expences?

Do they include internal medicine family medicine and emergency medicine ?

Hi I have seen some discussion about Comenius here before but its from a few years back I wanted to get more info about how is it to study in Bratislava in general maybe some stuff changed

There's some new Anki decks for FSP, and it's in multiple languages:

• German - English https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/1513958079

• German - Arabic https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/451821362

• German - Romanian https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/1126142259

• German - Turkish https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/36223390

• German - Ukranian https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/388725043

Figured I'd share them here. Enjoy!

What is the route for a last year medical student from the Netherlands to get into French residency training?

We’re a Hamburg-based, English-track medical program, and our students move into German teaching hospitals for their clinical years after formal German-language training built into the curriculum.

Curious how other students in similar setups handled the jump from classroom language to ward language.

Any tips for students heading into their PJ / clinical years?

Hi all! I’m a pakistani IMG exploring my options, I’ve got my uk registration done and that pathway is closed, same for Australia. I did mrcem A for now but I’m getting disillusioned.
Language is not an issue for me, what do you think are the prospects and how to go about it. I know a lot of doctors from my country go to Germany for residency and I personally have family in Norway so I was looking at these options.