What is a Foundation Medicine Course?

Foundation medicine courses are designed for medical university candidates who:

• Didn’t take the required sciences at A-Level;
• Didn’t get the optimal grades at A-Levels;
• Didn’t gain admission into medical school on the first try
• Are unsure whether medicine or dentistry is their right career path
• Just want to take a year extra to prepare

The pre-medical course acts as a foundation year or an introductory course for the regular 6-year medicine course that medical schools in Europe teach in English.

Pre-med consists of the basic science subjects you need in order to gain entry into the medical university of your choice: Biology, Chemistry, and Physics (some universities may teach Mathematics as well as part of the foundation year course).

The duration of courses for pre-med can be anywhere between 3 and 9 months. There usually are 2 types of programmes: one in English, and one taught in the national language.

Apart from the subjects mentioned above, you will be studying general English language and English for Health Sciences, which will help you with terminology in the first year of medicine.

Why Invest an Additional Year?

Medicine foundation courses are aimed at students who wish to secure their entry into a particular university, don't have the required A-levels, or need more preparation for 1st-year entry.

By signing up for a preparatory course, you will gain A-Level science knowledge in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and/or Mathematics. You will have a massive advantage over other applicants because you have invested more time to prepare for medical school entrance exams.

Entry Requirements for Medicine Foundation Year in Europe

While entry requirements for medicine foundation courses in Europe may differ for every country, the 2 most common requirements are:

• High-school certificate of completion with an average grade of 60% (in some cases even 40%)
• English language proficiency diploma or exam

Best Places to Study Abroad for Pre-Med

Here are the best pre-med programmes in Europe:

• Medical University of Sofia
• Medical University of Plovdiv
• Medical University of Varna
• University of Medicine & Pharmacy Craiova
• Titu Maiorescu University of Bucharest
• Debrecen Medical University
• Warsaw Medical University

We will update this list as soon as we find other opportunities for courses for pre-med in Europe. Until then, contact us now to learn more about how to apply.

Why You Should Apply for a First-Year Pre-Med Courses

Admitting to a foundation year course will make your life a lot easier for the remaining years of your medical education. In fact, students who decide to invest an extra year in medicine have several advantages over their peers. In fact, students who decide to invest an extra year in medicine have several advantages over their peers.

Why? Because you will:

• Gain A-Level science knowledge in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. This will automatically eliminate the pressure to study hard since you have already gotten quite a lot of knowledge in your foundation year.
• Spend more time in the first year focusing on the important subjects rather than on the language. If you sign up for a basic course teaching the local language during the pre-med year, later you will worry less about the official language of the country you study in.
• Pass easily and gain entry into the 1st year of medicine. You will go through the stress of chasing admission deadlines.
• Meet the same teachers who will teach you in years 1, 2, and 3. You can start building a good relationship with them from your pre-med year.
• Have the time to socialise, meet people, make friends, explore the city, and familiarise yourself with the authentic student experience.