Surviving Med School

A site dedicated to providing the best tips and advice on how to get into med school and how to organize yourself in order to graduate with honors.

Saturday 18 January 2014

Medical Faculty Novi Sad - Requirements, Studies in English and Costs

The Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad is a well-known med school in Eastern Europe that provides a special course in English for foreign students. Along with the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade it is one of the most prestigious schools of its kind on the Balkan peninsula. The faculty provides three courses for foreigners: medicine, pharmacy and dentistry. 

All of the courses are in English and they only accept 20 people per course each year. Thus, this means that getting in is a challenge, but it is well worth the effort. Just think about it - wouldn't it be awesome to be working in a group of 20 people? The professors will be able to fully dedicate themselves to your development and as such you will certainly get your money worth.

We will now go over the following questions:
  1. Where is Novi Sad? What is it like?
  2. What are the requirements to study in Novi Sad as a foreign student?
  3. What are the tuition fees? The living costs?
  4. General tips and advice

Why Study Medicine in Novi Sad?

The city of Novi Sad is located in the northern region of Serbia and it is the largest city in this region. However, it may seem rather small for someone from the US as it only has a population of roughly 230,000. If you have ever been to Italy or Austria then the architecture of the town will likely seem very familiar. It is a beautiful city with a long history and tradition which features people of various nationalities, religions and cultures. 

study medicine in novi sad
The Town Square is very beautiful and the people are quite friendly
Just about everyone in Novi Sad (and in Serbia) knows how to speak English as their second language and a lot of people may be able to talk in French or German. As a result you will find it very easy to navigate the city and meet new people, colleagues and friends. Aside from this the city is well-known for its restaurants and nightclubs and there are a lot of tourists from Europe throughout the year.

That's all well and fine. But why study med school here? Well, there are various reasons, but here a few that we can single out as bullet points:
  • Three unique courses are available depending on your interests 
  • You will work in a small group which means that the quality of your lessons will be better than in most places
  • Tuition costs are very low and the costs of living aren't very high either
  • You will get a chance to see real procedures and assist real doctors in medical clinics. A lot of other faculties offer this, but they execute it very late.
  • The school itself is a part of a large complex which includes the town's medical center and hospital.

Medical School in Novi Sad Requirements

The requirements to study med school in Novi Sad are subject to change and you should certainly follow their official website, but for now I will explain how the application process works. The first thing you should do is choose which course you would like to take. There are three courses:
  1. Dentistry
  2. Medicine
  3. Pharmacy
The entrance of the med school in Novi Sad
The next step is to provide proof that you posses the appropriate command of the English language. For people in the US and UK this isn't really required, but if you are from a country where English isn't the first language then you will need a document of your choosing (IELTS, FC, TOEFL) in order to prove your language proficiency.

Entrance Exam


The next step is to apply and come to the faculty to take the entrance exam. For the admission into your first year of study of dentistry or medicine you will need to pass a written text in Biology and Chemistry. You will need to have a minimum of 7 out 20 points on both tests in order to be considered. If you are interested in studying Pharmacy then you will be given a test in Chemistry and Mathematics. If you pass these tests you will be invited into a formal interview which isn't a big deal and at this point you are probably already accepted.

Keep in mind though that there will be handful of documents that you will need to bring. These include your secondary school diploma, birth certificate and the official application form. If you are accepted then you will need to pay the tuition fees and health insurance.

Tuition Fees and Costs in Novi Sad

Regardless of your chosen course, the tuition fee costs 3.600 euros or roughly 4.800 US dollars. This doesn't include any sort of accommodation, but it does give you access to the school's library and other facilities. The entrance exam fee is set at 60 euros and you will need to pay around 10 to 20 euros as a fee for every exam that you take during your academic year.

Once again, the cost of 3600 euros is for the entire academic year (includes both semesters) and it is paid upfront after you are accepted into the faculty.

But what about the costs of living in Novi Sad? Well, honestly, for someone who lives in the US the prices in Novi Sad will seem very affordable and rightfully so. Here is an overview of some  of the living expenses to help you see just how much money you will need to study here.

Accommodation
  • Rent per month apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center - 150 to 215 euros ($203 to $295)
  • Rent per month apartment (3 bedroom) in City Center - 250 to 315 euros ($340 to $475)
  • Buying an apartment - price per square meter in City Center - 1.000 to 1.400 euros ($1.415 to $1.908)
  • Buying an apartment - price per square meter in the suburbs  - 800 to 1.100 euros ($1.086 to $1.357)
Note: 1 square meter is 10,76 square feet.


Markets and Restaurants
  • Milk (1 liter) - 0.80 euros ($1.10)
  • Fresh white bread (500g) - 0.45 euros ($0.60)
  • Eggs (12) - 1.50 euros ($1.86)
  • Water (1.5 liter bottle) - 0.40 euros  ($0.50)
  • Pack of cigarettes (Marlboro) - 1.80 euros ($2.4)
  • Apples (1 kg) - 0.90 euros (1.15$)
  • Meal, inexpensive restaurant - starting at 4 euros ($5.50) 
  • Combo meal at McDonald's - starting at 4 euros ($5.50) 

General Tips and Advice

If you are interested in studying med school in Novi Sad then here is a list of our tips and advice:
  • Contact the faculty as soon as possible and start preparing your entrance exam
  • Visit Novi Sad before the entrance exam at least once and organize a tour of the faculty with the local staff via email before you get there
  • You can attend special classes at the faculty to prepare for the exam, this is highly recommended and will cost you around 300 to 600 euros ()
  • While you only need 7 out 20 per entrance exam to be considered, take note that exams in Serbia are rather harder than in the US and that you will need to make special preparations
  • Learn more about Novi Sad and Serbia in general, maybe even learn a bit about their culture and language.

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