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The acceptance for a place at medical school is the first major milestone on the way to becoming a doctor. Many exciting and in every respect instructive years await students at university. In addition to professional challenges, the topic of "finances" also accompanies the entire study programme. But how much does it actually cost to study medicine in Germany and what financing options do students have? You can find answers to these and other questions in this compact article:
This is how much it costs to study medicine in Germany
Studying at state universities is generally free of charge except for 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 also 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. In dentistry studies, there are also sometimes very high costs for materials and utensils for the practical courses, which, however, also vary depending on the university. For more detailed information, it is best to contact the student council of the respective 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, living in student halls of residence or shared flats, or using apps like "Too Good To Go" for cheap food. Nevertheless, this is often not enough to finance one's entire livelihood and, in the best case, a carefree free time. Fortunately, there are also ways to earn money alongside your studies - sometimes even without working!
Part-time jobs in medical studies
In principle, it is possible to work in mini- or small part-time jobs while studying medicine. Many hospitals even pay nursing assistants well above the minimum wage for medical students, 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 in your studies and learn skills such as drawing blood, placing IVs or writing ECGs. The same also applies to student assistants, who are often employed in research, but sometimes also in university teaching, for example as tutors. Hiwi positions are usually only paid the minimum wage, but they also offer a great deal of learning 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 research groups for vacancies or search their websites for job advertisements. There are often noticeboards in universities and clinics with analogue job advertisements, and some professors also offer placement services. Tip: When applying for a job, always have a cover letter with your motivation, your interests, your strengths and your CV ready and send it directly with your application!
If you want to balance your studies with a job and are looking for a way to make contacts outside of university, you usually have a good chance of finding jobs in cafés or bars in university towns. The best thing to do is to talk directly to the waiters or owners of your favourite places and offer them 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 them with sufficient financial support during their university education. This is an educational grant, half of which must be repaid as an interest-free loan and the other half of which is an educational grant that does not have to be repaid. The maximum amount that has to be repaid is around €10,000 and only has to be paid off piece by piece 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 support is ultimately paid out depends, among other things, on the student's living circumstances, the income of the parents 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 expensive plans, there is also the possibility of taking out a loan for studies. This can be taken out at various conditions with 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 in Germany.
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. There, students receive a certain amount of financial support during their studies and in return, after they have earned a certain minimum amount, they pay back a percentage of their salary after graduation, thus enabling other students to continue their education. Here, too, the exact conditions and offers differ, which is why it is worthwhile to do more detailed research for your own university of choice.
Scholarships in medical studies
Those who do not trust themselves to work while studying, but do not want to take on loan debt, can also apply for a scholarship. Contrary to the frequent assumption that they only go to students with top grades, these are also awarded, for example, for social and political commitment, sporting achievements or certain social circumstances. 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 is very broad and the application processes can vary greatly. While for some scholarships you have to be suggested or recommended by a lecturer or teacher, for others you can apply independently.
A good overview of some of the most important scholarships for medical studies and the respective conditions can be found at Praktischarzt.de under the following link: https://www.praktischarzt.de/medizinstudium/medizin-stipendium/.
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