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In order to fulfil their dream of studying medicine in Germany, applicants have to overcome a few hurdles. Those whose Abitur average does not earn them a place in the Abitur best quota can apply via one of the two other quotas, i.e. the selection procedure of the universities (AdH) or the additional aptitude quota (ZEQ). While the AdH takes into account both school grade-dependent and school grade-independent criteria and awards 60% of the places, only school grade-independent criteria count in the ZEQ, which comprises 10% of the places.
In addition to completed vocational training in the medical field and prizes in education-related competitions, both quotas also recognise services performed. Here you can find out at a glance which services are suitable, how the application and recognition works and what you can expect in a service:
Which services are recognised?
For the AdH or the ZEQ, services completed in subject-relevant areas are recognised. This includes not only voluntary service such as the Voluntary Social Year (FSJ) or a Federal Volunteer Service (BFD), but also certified voluntary work of at least two years with certain non-profit organisations (Johanniter, Malteser, fire brigade, DLRG, ASB, DRK/DKMS, THW). It is therefore worthwhile to start thinking about voluntary work while still at school.
Voluntary service can take the form of an FSJ, a BFD, an international youth voluntary service, a developmental, European or other voluntary service abroad or voluntary military service. Whether the service is ultimately considered in the application for medical studies depends, among other things, on the subject area and the organisation. While most service in medical organisations and institutions in Germany is recognised without any problems, it does not hurt to contact Hochschulstart directly in advance to ensure recognition, especially in the case of service abroad.
Voluntary service is recognised for a minimum duration of eleven months. It is important that the eleven months are completed by the deadline of 31 January for the summer semester or 31 July for the winter semester. If you want to be sure that all certificates are available at the time of application, you should therefore plan the period carefully in advance and, if possible, consult with the employer about the deadlines before the end of the service so that the certificates are issued as smoothly as possible and as soon as possible after the end of the assignment.
The extent to which a service is taken into account in the application for a place at a medical school varies from university to university. If researching and calculating individual chances, taking into account all the criteria of the individual universities, is too time-consuming, you can make it easy for yourself and use free tools such as the app "ncrechner". Here, you can easily enter your previous performance and the programme will generate a list of potential chances for a place at all German universities for medicine.
How do I find the right service for me?
When choosing a service, one should first think about the type and location of the service. If you want to stay in Germany but do not want to do military service, you can consider an FSJ or a BFD, for example. Both are similar in content and structure, but an FSJ is only possible up to the age of 27 and only once in a lifetime. However, unlike the BFD, it can also be completed abroad.
As a person interested in medicine, there is basically not much you can do wrong when choosing a medical field of work. Valuable knowledge and skills can be learned, independence gained and experience gained both in the emergency services and in clinics and other medical facilities. Experience reports from the internet (e.g. "The Internet") can be used as a decision-making aid. https://www.fsj-bfd.de/fsj-bfd ) or acquaintances, as well as small job shadowing and internships in advance can be useful. For those who are undecided, it may be worth considering that voluntary services in hospitals are sometimes recognised as a substitute for the nursing internship. However, the station of the placement must meet certain criteria. We will soon summarise what these are and other helpful tips on the nursing internship.
How do I apply for voluntary service?
The application for a voluntary service is usually made directly via the desired institution or organisation. In most cases, you will find all the information you need for the application process on the respective websites. Alternatively, you can submit a speculative application to a human resources department. To do so, simply send an e-mail asking about vacancies for voluntary service in your desired period of time and attach an application with a short letter of motivation and a CV. Websites like https://www.bundesfreiwilligendienst.de can also help in the search for places.
Organisations that specialise in arranging FSJ placements and other voluntary services abroad include https://www.weltwaerts.de specialised.
What can I expect during my voluntary service?
Volunteer service is a great way to get a first insight into working life and a professional field after leaving school. You usually work about 40 hours a week in the institution and occasionally attend special seminars, courses and workshops. There is no real salary, but a small amount of pocket money, usually between 150€ and 500€ per month. In addition, some organisations offer travel allowances or even accommodation.
The tasks in the voluntary service can vary depending on the area of assignment and the institution. However, the aim is to support the colleagues in their work and to gradually be able to work more and more independently. In the best case, however, you are never really left out of sight and therefore do not have too much pressure of responsibility. On the other hand, you should not be exploited for non-skilled temporary work such as making coffee or cleaning. If you are dissatisfied with the tasks you have been assigned, it is always important to talk to your superiors and co-workers about it and to communicate problems. The regular seminars, in which volunteers are informed about their rights and duties and receive tips for conflict situations during their service, also help.
In order to get the most out of voluntary service, you should be motivated and interested, want to get involved and learn new things. The experiences from the service can not only serve to consolidate goals and meaningfully bridge the waiting time for a place at university, but also provide a good basis and preparation for studying medicine or training in the medical field.
The time of service can also be used to prepare for aptitude tests, which also give points in the application process for medical school places.
Voluntary service despite a place at medical school
Volunteer service can be done to increase the chances of getting a place at a medical school, but applicants who have already been admitted to medicine can also do the service without losing their place at university. For this purpose, it can be deferred via Hochschulstart and taken up to two application phases after the end of the service at the latest.
Ready to go?
Hopefully you were able to gain a certain overview of the topic of "voluntary service" and maybe we were even able to help you a little with your decision. However, if you still have questions or are interested in other topics related to studying medicine, feel free to take a look around our website or simply contact us directly via email or Instagram.
This article was written by Maria Kieschke.
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