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Hameln, 29. January 2015

How to Find Your Fortune Abroad

This Is How It Works at MSA!

Passed the A level last year and did not get a place for the medical study of choice – Tom is frustrated, even though he achieved a good grade point average with 2,0 in his A level. Unfortunately, that will not suffice to directly start studying human medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine in Germany, without spending years of waiting semesters. Of course you can complete an apprenticeship in a medical field, which will surely help you later, but even that time will mostly not cover all of your numerous waiting semesters. However, Tom does not want to give up on his dream of studying human medicine, because that is all he ever wanted to do – helping people. He gathers information about private universities in Germany, who are offering medicine. Medical studies are NC-free at those universities, but even there he cannot be sure to be accepted, because there are mostly just 50 places to study on average and the universities get hundreds of applications. Just few are being invited to a selection interview or fail the admission exam, which they also have to take, because the applicants do not know what it is about and cannot prepare for the test. Quickly his first joy, to finally realize his dream yet again, fades. There has to be a possibility – and he finds it, while putting different search keywords like “Studying human medicine NC-free” into a search engine. MSA (Medical Studies Advisory) is the solution. But is it? – Maybe, he still needs to gather more information, because he has numerous questions about how the whole process works and how high his chances to get a study place are, because it cannot work that easy!? He did not even consider studying abroad a possibility for him ever.

He examines their homepage and approaches MSA via their contact form on their website to gather more information. He types his name, email and telephone number into the form, great pleasure, about the discovery of this service and consulting agency, stays away. Too many options have disappointed him so far, but he has nothing to lose. This is probably his last chance, because he does not want to wait further years for a study place in Germany.

A short while later he receives a phone call from one of the study advisers at MSA, who wants to inform him about human medicine regarding his information request. The first thing he hears is, that eight different countries come into question, among others Spain and many Eastern European countries. He did not expect such a wide choice. The next good news is, that many of those universities grant the admission through admission exams, rather than a normal university application, where the NC is important. But even at universities where he needs to apply according to the NC, he would have good chances for admission with his 2,0 graduation. In the conversation with the student advisor, he can ask many questions and his first doubts vanish. He is particularly pleased with the fact, that the medical courses of study are being recognized by every university in Europe and a change back to Germany after some semesters abroad could be possible. The only obstacle: he has to pass the application procedure or an acceptance test. As he got to know, the chances for him are high to pass the admission test, because it can be mastered easily and in the last years almost every MSA applicant got their place at the desired university. He need not have to worry about the test, because when he signs up for the admission test, he will get all the learning material form MSA in advance. Thus, nothing unexpected can surprise him in the test, as he was told on the phone from the advisor.

In the evening, he discusses this idea with his parents, who are very fond of this opportunity and want to financially support him, as tuition fees lie ahead of him abroad. His mother also mentions the great advantage of the international experience he will gather in another country and points out to him, how that will help with occupational outlooks. He was not aware of that benefit before, because over all was his fear of leaving his familiar setting behind, to start a path into the unknown.

He considered this option for some days, if that is the right thing for him to do and talked several times with the MSA adviser again to clear all concerns. At the end he takes the decision to just try it. It was always his dream to live in a country with better weather and with more joy of living than in Germany, even though a study abroad was never really under any consideration. He chooses to study in Spain, more precisely in Valencia at the Universidad Cardenal Herrera. To get admission to this university he has to take an admission test. The test comprises multiple choice questions in English with the topics out of mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics and general knowledge. For the test he has received learning material by MSA in advance, with which he was able to prepare himself for the test for some months.

At the end of May the time has come, the exam is taking place in Hannover and Tom is nervous, even though he occupied himself with the learning material every day. Nevertheless he awaits the admission test quite confidently, because he has done his best to be optimally prepared. Tom can concentrate very well during the exam and completes the test with quite a good feeling. He even masters the individual interview in Spanish very well, because he started taking Spanish classes some weeks in advance of the interview. His feelings tell him that he has passed the test, but you never know, since there is much on the line: if he has passed the test, then he has secured his study place.

During the next week he gets the results – he has passed and cannot believe it himself, because this means that he can finally realize his dream in Spain. His studies will start in September, but numerous things, that have to be dealt with before, start worrying him, especially, where he will live when he is in Spain. For this matter he appeals to the MSA study advisors again, who tell him that they have contacts in Spain, who will help and support the students with the apartment search. Most MSA students prefer a flat share anyway, so that settling in Spain is easier.

Ahead of Tom are six exciting years in Spain, where he has the chance to learn the language perfectly – this is important, because the language in which lessons are conducted changes from English to Spanish from the second semester in the third year on. Of course he can also change universities and come back to Germany, where he can apply for the next semester and has a chance of getting a place. The educational contents and the studies in general are, thanks to the Bologna process, being recognized in Germany and in no way inferior to studies in Germany.

As early as August, he plans to fly to Spain to settle down, to socialize and to arrange everything that has to be done before the start of his studies, so he can fully concentrate on studying. Of course he also wants to explore the city of Valencia, the best beaches for his free time and the numerous possibilities to go out in the evening. A new, exciting and maybe also an unfamiliar life journey begins for Tom. He is prepared to accept initial hurdles, because now he can finally study what he always wanted, which would not be possible in Germany any time soon.