Czech universities have a great reputation in the whole of Europe. Schools like Charles University in Prague, Masaryk University, Palacky University, and Ostrava University are popular also among international students, who wish to study medicine or dentistry abroad. All of them are among the TOP 1000 universities in the world. There are literally students from all over the world, e.g. Norway, Germany, India, Iran, South Korea, Japan, Poland, Spain and Portugal.
We will take a look at options for studying medicine or dentistry in the Czech Republic in the English language, including fees, deadlines, admission process, eligibility, etc. The most important information is, that degree from the Czech Republic is recognized in the whole European Union and most countries around the world (recognized in the UK – after MLA, USA – with USMLE, Canada – with MCCQE, Hong Kong – HK Licencing exam, Singapore – after specialization).
How much does it cost to study medicine in the Czech Republic?
The Czech Republic is cheaper compared to Western countries, such as the UK, Germany, or Sweden but still offers a high standard of living. Universities usually offer dormitories for international students (with prices ranging from 100-150€), and private shared apartments might be arranged for a comparable price (note that flats in Prague and Brno are higher compared to Ostrava, Hradec Kralove, or Pilsen). Food will cost you around 100-120€ per month, monthly bus ticket around 15€. Books and study materials are provided by university libraries, however, some students prefer to buy books as well. The budget of 550€-600€ should be still satisfactory for one month of stay in the Czech Republic as a student.
System of medical studies in the Czech Republic: General Medicine, Dental medicine, Veterinary medicine, and Pharmacy
Let’s take a look at a system of studies of general medicine or dentistry in the Czech Republic. Generally speaking, Czech universities are international and multicultural with a long tradition of teaching in English. The TOP University is Charles University in Prague, which ranks among the best 2% of universities worldwide. The official currency in the Czech Republic is the Czech crown. As the rate fluctuates, we will use a conversion rate of 1€ per 25 Czech crowns with the calculation below.
It is possible to study the program General Medicine, Dental Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, and Pharmacy in the English language.
Studying the program of General medicine in the Czech Republic
The program of General medicine takes 6 years and runs under the ECTS system. The first 2 years are usually theoretical with subjects like Biology, Biophysics, Chemistry, Anatomy or Physiology. Internships and clinical subjects are being completed in the 4th and 5th years, where students attend clinics and hospitals (internal medicine, pathological medicine, etc). During the last year of studies, students attend pre-graduation practical training, working at clinics and departments under the supervision of experienced physicians. The tuition fee range is 11.000€ to 24.000€ per academic year (2 semesters) – it also depends on the exchange rate, as the tuition fees must be paid in Czech crowns. Faculty accepts approximately 65-150 students per year – there is only one intake in September.
The study program of General medicine is offered by:
- the 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University
- the 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University
- the 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University
- Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University
- Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Charles University
- Faculty of Medicine in Brno, Masaryk University
- Faculty of Medicine in Olomouc, Palacky University
- Faculty of Medicine in Ostrava, University of Ostrava
Studying the program of Dental medicine in the Czech Republic
The program of Dental medicine takes 5 years /10 semesters/ and runs under the ECTS system. Studies contain theoretical, preclinical, and clinical subjects during 10 semesters. First-year is for preclinical science, the second year for preclinical science and clinical science (like pathological anatomy), the third year for clinical science (internal medicine, oral microbiology, fourth year for clinical subjects (pediatrics, ophthalmology or clinical dentistry) and the fifth year for state exams and clinical science (restorative medicine, orthodontics, clinical dentistry). The study of dentistry is completed by state exams in various subjects (which are different across faculties). The tuition fees are in the range from 13,500€ to 20.000€. Faculties accept approximately 20-30 students per faculty – there is only one intake which is in September.
The program is offered by:
- the 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University,
- Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
- Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University
- Faculty of Medicine in Olomouc, Palacky University
Studying Veterinary medicine in the Czech Republic
The program of Veterinary medicine is offered by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Veterinary Sciences in Brno. The program takes 6 years with a load of 360 ECTS credits. There are 80 seats offered to international students. The study program covers the entire scope of veterinary medicine. It is, however, strongly focused on diagnostics, therapy and prevention of diseases of various species. Studies are concluded with the state exam consisting of several partial exams from clinical subjects chosen by the student. Graduates are awarded the title “Doctor of Veterinary Medicine” abbreviated as “MVDr.”. The result of the entrance exam is known usually on the same day, or within 2-3 days /for Hradec Kralove. All schools have multiple-choice tests.
We will now take a look at all medical universities in the Czech Republic, so you can do a comparison, which one is the most suitable for you.
Eligibility of students for medical schools in the Czech Republic and entrance exams
Students must have their secondary school education completed and their secondary final degree must be verified by nostrification (equivalency checking). Applicants must pass the entrance exam (with the exemption of the 3rd faculty of medicine applicants with outstanding results in A levels, SAT or IB). Entrance exams are organized on-site (the 1st Faculty of Medicine, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and Faculty of medicine, Palacky University) and online (Faculty of Medicine, Palacky University, Faculty of Medicine, Hradec Kralove, respectively Faculty of Medicine, Pilsen in case of approval from the Dean).
5 medical Faculties of Charles University in Prague
Charles University is the oldest and most prestigious university in the Czech Republic. The university is well-known around the world since it was founded by a charter issued on the 7th of Apri l 1348 by Charles IV. When establishing the University, a model of Bolognas and Paris universities was followed. In the beginning, it had 4 faculties: theological, liberal arts, law, and medicine. Charles University has been always a center of Czech intelligence and also a center against suppressing forces in Czech society. Students from Charles University led a demonstration against a totalitarian regime, which ceased to exist in 1989. Nowadays, Charles University is a place with modern university life, involved in plenty of international cooperations, and is playing an important role in a broad spectrum of European and global programs.
University is ranked in the TOP 2% of the 18,000 institutions of higher institutions in the world. According to the QS ranking, Charles was the 279th best university in the world, and according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities, it was among 201-300 best universities in the world.
There are the following faculties of medicine at Charles University:
- First faculty of medicine in Prague
- Second faculty of medicine in Prague
- Third Faculty of Medicine in Prague
- Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen
- Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Kralove
First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague
The faculty offers a 6-year program in General medicine (500,000CZK (approximately 21.000€)) and a 5-year program in Dental medicine (500.000 CZK – 21.000€). There is a compulsory entrance exam – multiple choice tests from biology (100 points), chemistry (100 points), and physics (100 points) and an interview for those, who completed the entrance exam (30 points). There is a need to get min. 244 points from 330 to get accepted. The deadline for applications is the end of April. There are 150 places for general medicine and 30 places for Dental medicine in the academic year 2023/24. There were 1103 applicants for a program of General Medicine in 2022 and 260 admitted students (23% success rate), and the faculty is planning to enroll 150 students. Totally 94 students applied for Dental medicine, 26 got admitted (27% success rate), and the faculty plans to enrol 30. The application fee is 820 CZK and it is possible to apply before the completion of secondary school.
The history of the 1st faculty of medicine is very rich and there is a track record of excellent teachers, such as Jan Jessenius, Jan Evangelista Purkyne, Jan Jánsky or Karel Raška. Nowadays, there are on average 3 students per professor. Students have their internships at the General University Hospital in Prague as well as at the Military University Hospital, the Motol University Hospital, Thomayer Hospital, Na Bulovce Hospital, the Institute of Rheumatology, and the Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusions. Learn more about the faculty.
Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague
The second Faculty of Medicine in Prague accepts students for the course General medicine (6 years program with tuition fees of 460.000CZK (approximately 19400€)). The course is running since 1992 and contains theoretical, pre-clinical, and clinical subjects. Practical training starts in the second year, while there are clinical subjects in the 4th, 5th, and 6th study years. The final state exams are taken in the subjects of Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, Surgery, Gynaecology, Obstetrics, and Public Health. The deadline for application is the end of April, while entrance exams are being held at the end of May and June. There were 650 applicants, totally 185 students got admission (28,5% success rate) in 2022, but the faculty offers 90 study seats. The application fee is 820 CZK. There are 2 parts of the admission process: a written test with questions from Biology, Physics, Chemistry and logic (15 questions each) and an interview. The first 90 students will be accepted for medical studies.
Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague
The faculty accepts students for a program of General medicine (6 year program with tuition fees of 460.000CZK, approximately 19400€). The program has been running since 1991/92 and the course currently has 3 cycles: basic biomedical sciences in 1st and 2nd years, principles of clinical medicine in 3rd and 4th year,s and clinical preparation in 5th and 6th years. The Czech language is being taught in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd years. There are two parts of the entrance exam: a written test from biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics (a total of 90 questions), followed by an interview. There were 422 applicants, totally 145 students got accepted which means a 34,3% success rate in 2022. The top 90 students will be offered seats on the faculty.
The deadline for submission of the application form is the end of March with the entrance exam at the end of May or the beginning of June. The application fee is 820CZK. You can find extensive information about the 3rd faculty at Charles University.
Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Hradec Kralove
The faculty in Hradec Kralove offers programs – General medicine (6 years – tuition fees 350.000CZK, approximately 14700€) and Dental medicine (5 years – tuition fees 340.000CZK). The faculty is running since 1945 as the first University faculty in East Bohemia, the English program has been running since 1992. There are over 1500 medical students (both in the Czech and English programs). Study programs are arranged along the lines of theoretical, pre-clinical, and clinical studies in theoretical and pre-clinical departments, clinical departments, and institutes. The clinical instruction takes place in the Faculty Hospital.
The deadline for application is the end of April. The entrance examination (held in English) is based on written testing (multiple choice) of the applicant ́s knowledge of basic science in – Basic human anatomy and physiology – Biology – Chemistry – Physics. The application fee is 820 CZK. There are 105 students admitted for a program of General medicine and 25 for Dental medicine. Entrance exams are being held in May and June.
There were 260 students admitted out of 573 applicants in 2022 (45% success rate) for a program of General Medicine. The city is located approximately 90 minutes from Prague, it has 2 sites – one with a university campus and the second with a university hospital.
Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Pilsen
There are 2 programs offered: General medicine (tuition fees 370.000CZK, approximately 15600€) and Dental medicine (370.000CZK – equivalent of 15.600€). The Faculty exists since 1945. General Medicine is a six-year study program; the study of the Dentistry program takes five years. The first two years are dedicated to theoretical fields – biology, biophysics, anatomy, histology, physiology, and biochemistry. The third and a part of the fourth years focus on the study of preclinical subjects – Pathological Anatomy, Pathological Physiology, Microbiology, and Pharmacology, and the study of the clinical subjects begins as well. The last years fully focus on clinical fields.
The deadline for application is the end of April with an application fee of 820 CZK. The entrance exam has the form of multiple-choice tests from Chemistry, Biology, and Physics – in total there are 75 questions. There were 99 students admitted from 325 applicants (30,2% success rate) for a program of General Medicine, respectively 15 students admitted from 43 applicants for dental medicine in 2022. Faculty offers 90 places for General medicine and 14-18 seats for Dental medicine.
Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University in Brno
The faculty in Brno offers 6 years program in General medicine (380.000CZK, approximately 16.000€), and 5 years program in Dental medicine (400.000 CZK – 16.800€). There are theoretical, preclinical, and clinical subjects during the standard length of studies with a state exam in the last year. The entrance exam takes the form of a multiple-choice test with only one correct answer from Chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics. There are 40 questions in each section (total of 3 sections) with 60 minutes allocated for each of them. The passing rate for General medicine is 65%, and the passing rate for Dental medicine is 60%. Entrance exams are organized all over the world from February to July. The application fee is 750CZK.
There were 354 students admitted from 601 students in 2022 (59% success rate) for a program of General Medicine. For a program of Dental medicine, 21 students passed the entrance exam of 48 students (44% success rate) in 2022.
Faculty of Medicine, Palacky University in Olomouc
The faculty offers programs in the English language: 6years programs in General medicine (tuition fees 12,500€) and Dental medicine (5 years program). The Palacky University of Medicine in Olomouc, Czech Republic is located in Olomouc, a small student-oriented city of about 100,000 inhabitants. There are 65 places offered for the program of General medicine with tuition fees of 12.500€ per academic year. There were around 400 applicants and approximately 50% of them passed the test in 2022. This program offers theoretical subjects in the 1st to 4th semester, preclinical subjects ((pathology, microbiology, pharmacology) in the 5th to 7th semester, and clinical subjects in the 8th to 12th semester.
There are 20 places for the program of Dental medicine with tuition fees of 14.000€ per year. There were approximately 70 applicants for General medicine, and around 30 of them passed the Dentistry exam in 2022. The entrance exam has the form of a multiple-choice test in Biology, Chemistry Physics, or Mathematics. Apart from it, there is a need to submit an English proficiency certificate. There will be a form of online entrance exam due to the pandemic in 2021 intake. Entrance exams are taking place mostly from April to June.
Faculty of Medicine in Ostrava, Ostrava University
The faculty is offering a program of General medicine (6 years, 11.000€ per year) for international students in the English language. The program was reopened in 2023, so from 2024 there will be 2nd study year opened. Theoretical classes are in the first 2 years, 3rd year is for preclinical subjects, and during the 4th and 5th year, the student gradually passes through internships at the individual clinics and departments. If you want to get accepted to the Faculty of Medicine in Ostrava, you will need to pass a multiple-choice test. The test is from Chemistry, physics, and biology with a maximum of 90 points. There are 30 questions from each section, you need to score 10 points from each section and 45 points totally (out of 90 points). Medhead.eu is the official representative of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava
Admission tests are being done usually in May, June, and July. Admission is usually closed one month before the exam. There are max. 50 students to be admitted to a program of General Medicine.
How difficult are the transfers of studies to medical universities in the Czech Republic?
Transfer of medical studies to Czech medical schools are difficult. For example, the 3rd faculty of medicine, Charles University accepts only 7 transfer students, but all subjects from the previous university must be completed. The faculty of medicine, at Palacky University, accepts only subjects from the last 3 years and marks A-D, passing the entrance exam is a requirement (also knowledge of the Czech Language is required, which makes transfer to this university possible only from other Czech Universities). Probably the most favorable conditions are at the Faculty of medicine in Ostrava. Please contact me for more details if you need assistance.
Where to study veterinary medicine in the Czech Republic?
The only faculty offering program of Veterinary medicine is at the University of veterinary sciences in Brno. It is 6 years program and there are 80 places offered for English-speaking students. The tuition fees per year are 7600€. Students can get also dorms, their prices range from 150€ (for a triple room) to 300€ (single room for one person) per month. Applicants must pass the entrance exam in biology and chemistry. The deadline for submission of the application is the end of March but can be extended until the middle of July in case there is free capacity. You can find more information about veterinary studies under this link: https://www.studyvetuni.cz/
How can students prepare for the entrance exams?
Multiple offers from universities and colleges facilitate 5-12 months of courses for international students. These premedical courses are usually organized in person, but there are also offers where the purchase of online preparatory courses (prerecorded classes) is possible. Courses cover courses like biology, chemistry, physics, the Czech language, and the English language. There are the following institutes providing courses: the 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, the Institute of Language and Preparatory Studies, Charles University, Masaryk University, and private ones: Abbey College and Kinds College. Students might also apply for long-term visas in order to study premedical courses in the Czech Republic. The price varies, but on-site courses start from 4500€, and prerecorded classes from 100€. The most expensive takes 2 semesters and costs 18.000€. You can check more details here: https://medhead.eu/premedical-courses-for-students-in-the-czech-republic/
How do you apply to Czech medical schools?
It is possible to apply also with our help for any faculty of medicine in the Czech Republic. Many students are doing mistakes by submitting applications just for one university and in case of fail, they must wait for another year. If you wish to apply for studying medicine or dentistry at Czech Medical University, feel free to send us an email to medhead@medhead.eu
