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Without an A-level of 1.0, a place to study medicine at a German state university is difficult to achieve at first glance and the path to it is often associated with some time expenditure. In addition to months or years of voluntary work and vocational training, medical aptitude tests can also improve your A-levels and pave the way for a place at university. In Germany, the notorious Test for medical degree programmes (TMS) probably the most important role, as it is taken into account at all German universities. But there are alternatives both in Germany and in German-speaking countries. You can read about them here:
HAM-Nat, HAM-SJT and HAM-Man
As an alternative to the TMS the Hamburg selection tests are available in Germany, the HAM-Nat, HAM-SJT and HAM-Man.
The HAM-Nat is a three-hour science multiple-choice test that assesses knowledge in mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology at grammar school level, as well as logical thinking.
In contrast, the HAM-SJT Situational judgement", i.e. social skills. For about an hour, participants have to select options for action in fictitious situations. Soft skills such as empathy, decision-making and communication skills are tested here.
Finally, there is the HAM-Man, a work trial in which dentistry enthusiasts can demonstrate their manual skills in bending wire accurately. This test also lasts about an hour.
The HAM-Nat is taken into account in Magdeburg for human medicine and in Hamburg for human medicine and dentistry. Hamburg also counts the results of the HAM-STJ for both subjects and the HAM-Man for dentistry.
In Hamburg are used for Human Medicine at AdH the Abi and the HAM-Nat are each taken into account with 40 out of 100, the HAM-SJT with 20 quota points. In the ZEQ 80 of the 100 possible points come from the HAM-NAT and 20 from the HAM-SJT.
For Dentistry apply - also in Hamburg - the following ratings: in AdH 25 quota points Abitur performance + 30 quota points HAM-Nat + 30 quota points HAM-Man + 15 quota points HAM-SJT and in the ZEQ 50 quota points HAM-Nat + 30 quota points HAM-Man + 15 quota points HAM-SJT + 5 quota points voluntary service.
In Magdeburg the Ham-Nat for human medicine in quota 2 and 3 of the AdH in combination with Abitur grade and vocational training and in the ZEQ recognised in addition to vocational training and experience.
Registration for all three tests is done via the website https://www.auswahltestzentrale.de/. Free practice material is also available there. The fee for the HAM-Nat is 75€, participation in the other two tests is free of charge (as of April 2023). The test is organised twice a year, with the application phase for the spring test in March usually running from the beginning of December to mid-January, and the application phase for the autumn test in September from the beginning of July to mid-August. Participation can be repeated as often as desired.
Since the HAM-Nat in particular asks for a lot of factual knowledge, conscientious preparation is highly recommended, even if you already had the test subjects in the upper secondary school. In addition to the free practice simulations on the registration website, there are numerous preparation books and courses from private providers. These are often available second-hand at a lower price, for example in Facebook groups on the tests.
MedAT
Studying medicine in German is of course possible not only in Germany, but also in the rest of the German-speaking world. In Austria, the MedAT must be taken - regardless of the Abitur. This applies to both dental and human medicine and to all four locations of medical universities (Vienna, Graz, Linz and Innsbruck).
The entrance test for human medicine (MedAT-H) consists of four parts: the "Basic Knowledge Test Medical Studies (BMS)".where the natural sciences of biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics are tested at Abitur level, the test for the "Text Comprehension (TV)", the "Cognitive Abilities and Skills (KFF)"where, in 5 subtests, memory and logical thinking, among other things, are challenged and the task group is assigned to "Social-emotional competences (SEK)"in which decisions for action and empathy are tested.
The analogue test for dentistry (MedAT-Z) differs only in that instead of the subtest text comprehension, tasks on Manual skills (MF) be put in the form of bending wires and mirroring shapes.
Registration for the MedAT is done online via the website https://www.medizinstudieren.at/ and can only be done for one university location per test run, but can be taken as often as desired for different universities.
In order to ultimately obtain a place, applicants must achieve a certain rank on the ranking list of the corresponding test location. However, only 20% of the study places are awarded to candidates with Abitur from non-Austrian EU countries (important: here, citizenship does not count, only the school leaving certificate), so they have to do particularly well to gain a study place.
Thorough preparation is also essential for a good result in this test. The registration website www.medizinstudieren.at provides an extensive contingent of free learning materials, preparation videos and tips. In addition, there is a wide range of practice books and preparation courses from external providers, some of which are very expensive and not absolutely necessary.
EMS
The EMS is the Swiss equivalent of the MedAT and must be taken irrespective of the Abitur average as soon as there are more applicants than places at a university. In terms of structure and content, it corresponds almost 1:1 to the German TMS, but only Swiss citizens are allowed to take part - with very few exceptions (e.g. category C settlement permit holders). However, those who would still like to spend parts of their studies in Switzerland can do so in the context of clinical placements, Erasmus semesters or PJ tertials.
Ready?
If you are preparing for one of the medical entrance exams, we wish you every success and perseverance! No matter how your path to medicine goes and which detours you take, we are always there for you with advice and support and are happy to help with all problems related to the application, the start of your studies and beyond. Take a look at our website or contact us personally!
Sources: www.auswahltestzentrale.de, www.uke.de, www.med.uni-magdeburg.de, www.medizinstudieren.at, www.swissuniversities.ch
This article was written by Maria Kieschke.
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