Medicine

There are three medical schools teaching in English in Croatia – Rijeka, Split and Zagreb.

For further information about the Doctor of Medicine qualification, please refer to the relevant page of the website. Here we will aim to give you advice on some of the main considerations you should have if you wish to study medicine in Croatia.

Quality assurance – is the university good enough for me?

As with any university abroad, the first thing you need to assess is the quality of your chosen university, specifically the faculty you wish to study at. We, therefore, encourage you to look not at global university rankings which can sometimes give a misleading picture, but at industry-specific or profession-specific rankings or accreditations.

The University of Rijeka has been teaching medicine since 1955 and has developed an enviable reputation both in Croatia and internationally. It conducts medical research in many fields and these activities are integrated into its teaching where appropriate.

After graduation employment – will I be able to work where I want?

Currently, EU law stipulates that any qualification gained within the EU must be accepted in all EU countries if it is accepted in its home country. This is enough reassurance for anyone wishing to work within the EU 27, Ireland included. However, there is a risk that in the future this automatic recognition may not apply for anyone wishing to work in the UK after graduation. It is still too early to say exactly what will happen post-Brexit.

Entry requirements and admission process

The University of Rijeka’s medical programme will be in its second year in 2018/19. There are up to 50 spaces available every year guaranteeing small class sizes and excellent levels of support for students.

Ideally, the university will look for students who have A levels in biology and chemistry as well as any third subject. Any student with ABB or better should be able to apply.

The admission process consists of taking an entrance exam which covers scientific knowledge. British students can often be at a slight disadvantage particularly if they haven’t taken maths or physics A’ levels. The university can be a little flexible and take this into consideration but your overall performance on the exam will be the main criterion when deciding whether to make an offer or not.

Graduate Entry – is it possible?

The medicine degree at the University of Rijeka is an integrated degree leading to a Doctor of Dentistry qualification. As such, there is no pathway into a shorter programme specifically for graduates of other scientific disciplines. We have not yet had any experience of transfer possibilities because only one year is taught in English. Once there are more, this might become possible.

Tuition fees and the cost of living

Tuition fees for the English-taught course are currently €9,000 a year at Rijeka. All applications from the UK and Ireland must be processed through A Star Future Ltd and we can help other nationalities, too. It makes absolutely no difference to the overall cost.

Living costs in Croatia are very reasonable and it should be possible to live in Rijeka for around €600-€800 a month.