I hope you're all doing well. I have been contemplating a career change and would greatly appreciate some insights and advice regarding pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Medicine in Lausanne, Switzerland.
A little background about myself: I'm in my mid-40s and have been settled in Switzerland with a C permit. I hold a bachelor's degree (4 years degree) in Mechanical Engineering from India, along with a strong foundation in Physics, Chemistry, Maths, and Biology from my pre-university studies (A levels?). Despite working in the IT field for the past 20 years, I now have a strong desire to study medicine.
Currently, I have Fide language certificates (both French and German) - A2 level. After reaching out to the university admission office, I received a positive response regarding the possibility of admission to their BMed program (a 3-year medicine program) in 2024. They informed me that I need to achieve French B1 level for the application (Jan-Feb 2024), but there is no entrance test. It seems likely that my application will be accepted, provided I successfully complete the first year (foundation year) of studies.
However, the university also advised me to consider pursuing a Master's course (an additional 3 years) after completing the Bachelor's program. This has left me wondering about the implications of only obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Medicine. Would it be of no use? Would I still be able to practice medicine, perhaps as an assistant medical officer or in a similar capacity? In India, a Bachelor's degree in medicine is a 5.5-year program, after which individuals are allowed to practice.
I would greatly appreciate any insights or experiences that forum members may have in this regard. Is it common for individuals with a Bachelor's degree in Medicine to practice medicine in Switzerland? Are there any specific regulations or requirements I should be aware of? How does the role of an assistant medical officer compare to that of a fully qualified doctor?
Thank you in advance for your time and assistance. I look forward to hearing from you and gaining a better understanding of the options available to me.
I guess the full 6 year program is the minimum.
The medical studies at UNIL are extremely competitive, everybody says so. There are few attempts at the exams and once one fails this is the end of studying medicine in Switzerland. There is no formal limit on the number of students in the French speaking part but the bar is set high enough that there is one anyway. About one third succeeds.
Some Swiss people go to Hungary or other country, learn the language and study there, obtain their credentials, and then return to work in Switzerland.
Good luck!
Do you have any idea how this works in reality in Switzerland? It is not just a question of achieving a certain mark in the first year of studies, it is a super-intense cutthroat year of studies that about 2/3 of the students fail. You will be competing against super smart, highly motivated people half your age who can probably survive on a lot less sleep than you. If you are accepted into second year you will still face many, many intensive years of study, lots of people burn out. It's not a case of just passing your exams then finding a job as a doctor.
I know that there is a strong bias against selecting mature applicants: it is very expensive and resource-intensive to train doctors, and older applicants will provide far fewer years of service after they complete their studies.
Why do you so ardently want to work as a doctor? Do you have a deep understanding of what the job actually entails on a day-to-day basis, and how demanding the studies actually are?
My father worked as a doctor for more than 50 years and was involved in both admissions and training: he said lots of people go through a sort of mid-life crisis in their 40s and develop romantic ideas that they'd love to become a doctor and apply to medical school without having a complete grasp of what that entails. In general they were considered poor candidates for medical school: there is no shortage of younger qualified applicants who are very fast learners, and the failure rate among older applicants was significantly higher than average. My dad always said it's best to start medical training as young as possible.
Agree with that. My daughter is finishing second year of medicine in Lausane. She says first year was extremely difficult with more than a 1000 students, where around 200 passed to second year. You had to have highest notes to pass the year.
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post and share your thoughts. I appreciate your input, although I must admit that I sensed a slightly condescending tone in your reply. Nevertheless, I believe in maintaining a respectful and constructive conversation, so I would like to address your points while also seeking further clarification regarding your credentials.
Firstly, I understand that pursuing a career in medicine requires extensive education and training, which I am fully aware of. My intention in pursuing a BMed degree is to gain a foundational understanding of the field and explore opportunities in related roles. I am well aware that it does not make me a fully qualified doctor.
However, I believe that every step in the learning process contributes to personal growth and professional development. Obtaining a BMed degree can potentially open doors to various healthcare-related positions, such as medical research, healthcare administration, or roles that involve working under the supervision of fully qualified medical professionals. It is important to consider that healthcare systems and opportunities differ between countries, and I am specifically seeking insights about the situation in Switzerland.
Now, regarding your statement about "knowing what I'm talking about," I would appreciate if you could kindly share your credentials or relevant experience that make you well-versed in the topic. Your insights and expertise would greatly contribute to the discussion, and I believe it's important for us to understand each other's backgrounds in order to have a meaningful exchange of ideas.
Thank you again for your response, and I look forward to your clarification and further insights.
If I remember well, Bossa Nova works at tertiary education in Lausanne. A bunch of us spent some time in the Swiss university system at grad level, others are still on the academic track.
What? Research is split between universities and pharma. Much more common to find biologists, chemist or biochemists than medical docs in medical research. Source: I drank countless times with PhD students from biology and a bunch of them are now around Basel Admin is in the hands of admin people. Health technicians follow their own education path which is not bachelor in medicine. Rescue and emergencies also have their own path.
PS. once I met someone who wanted to study medicine after psychology to be a psychiatrist. Sadly, out with a burnout at the end of 1st year. It's almost like universities hate medicine students.
A BMed alone is basically worthless, medical studies are BMed + MMed. There are no positions I am aware of within the healthcare system that require a BMed alone. Medical research maybe, but then why would they hire someone with only a BMed when most applicants will have a MMed on top and most of the time also a MD-PhD? Healthcare adminstration is split between medical adminsitration (requiring an MMed) and plain admin, with no requirement for medical studies whatsoever. Other roles in healthcare have their own career path and studies, like Axa said.
The only reason to get a BMed is to continue on to a MMed and a Federal degree in medicine (which is another exam on top of the MMed completion criteria).
I'm surprised the university requires only B1 French. I had to show C1 German to study in Bern (2017). Even if they are happy with B1, I have to warn you it's nowhere near enough to cope with medical school. Even with C1 it's been tricky at times.