Private medical universities - the battle for recognition

Study medicine For many applicants, studying at a private university is a costly but attractive and simpler alternative to the tough selection process at state universities in German-speaking countries. However, more and more private universities are gradually losing their admissions. What does this mean for (future) medical students?

In order to be authorised to train doctors, private universities must first receive accreditation, i.e. undergo a kind of quality check. However, if this regular review reveals deficiencies in the curriculum, teaching staff, cooperation with clinics and research institutions or in other areas of training, accreditation can be withdrawn or renewal of accreditation can be refused. Zhis was recently the case at the Siegmund Freud University of Vienna (SFU) where since then no new students have enrolled for the Master's programme in Human medicine However, it only became public a few days ago that the Danube Private University (DPU) in Krems in Lower Austria is also having to fight for reaccreditation of its Master's degree programme in Human Medicine - and has apparently been doing so since 2021.

The DPU was the first private university with accreditation for human medicine in Austria. The degree programme is divided into three years of Bachelor's and three years of Master's, for which tuition costs total €162,000 (plus purchases such as instruments, materials, etc.). In order to allow graduates of the DPU to practise as doctors after completing their studies, an extension of the accreditation, which last expired in 2020, was applied for a few years ago, but this was rejected in 2021 for the Master's section of the programme. The DPU then lodged an appeal against the decision of the Ministry of Education and - unlike the SFU in Vienna - is allowed to offer study places for medicine until further notice, but a final judgement by the Federal Administrative Court is still pending. If the DPU is not granted new accreditation despite its legal steps and efforts, the Danube University, like the SFU, will have to present a plan that gives currently enrolled students the opportunity to obtain a recognised degree without excessive delays.

Private universities usually convince prospective students with a relatively simple admission procedure and an NC-free medical degree programme. However, especially when it comes to uncertainties regarding the accreditation of private university degrees in the DACH region, other European countries also offer many attractive opportunities for medical students.

Circumstances such as the wide, seemingly confusingly large selection of countries and universities, supposedly time-consuming and complex application processes and the search for accommodation and relocation to a foreign-language country often deter many prospective medical students from dealing with the topic at first. That's why we at Futuredoctor.de have specialised in precisely these topics and are here to support you from the beginning to the end of your search for a university place and your studies! We help you find out which universities are best suited to you, advise you on the application process, prepare you for your studies with scripts, learning videos and preparation courses, support you in finding accommodation or finding a flat share and organise get-to-know-you events in your future university city. See for yourself and arrange a free consultation with one of our advisors or listen to one of our webinars without obligation! On our blog, we also keep you up to date on current topics related to studying medicine and try to provide you with all the important information at a glance. If you have any topic requests, questions or concerns, we are always happy to receive feedback and messages via email or Instagram DM!

Sources: https://www.burgenland.at/ https://www.springermedizin.at/ https://www.meinbezirk.at/ https://www.noen.at/ https://www.heute.at

Last updated on 26 April 2023