How can I apply for medical studies in Turkey?

The application process for universities can be quite challenging, especially when applying to a foreign country, as is the case with medical studies in Turkey for foreign students. Many applicants search on the university’s web pages and on other forums to learn more about it. The problem with the information on the internet is that it is most of the time inaccurate, written in a general language, and is not able to satisfy your needs.

It is much more effective to hear something from a foreign student, who has helped other foreign students during their application, than spending endless time being confronted with the same undetailed information found on the web. The application procedure is not as difficult as someone may think. If you are interested in learning more about the structure of medical education in Turkey, please check out the provided link.

How is the application procedure for medical studies in Turkey?

The application period starts towards the end of spring and continues until the beginning of autumn, which slightly varies between the different universities. The specific dates are also available on the university’s web pages. As an example, the application period at my university is from the 15th of May to the 12th of July in the year 2020. So you have enough time for the application.

This should not deceive you. Some procedures such as the translation of your high school diploma or your exam results can take more time than expected. It took nearly a week for me to get the approval done, which can vary because many application dates overlap each other during these periods. The earlier you start to prepare the required documents, the less you will stress yourself and become prone to mistakes. From my experience, I can tell you that things do not always go as you planned.

The application occurs online. Every university has its application form the applicants apply through. There is no general application form, where you add your documents once and then set the universities the applicant automatically sends his or her documents as found in some countries such as Germany. The application forms resemble each other and are not difficult to navigate through.

What documents are required for medical studies in Turkey?

Several documents are required for the application process, including:

1) Basic biometrical photo

• Try to use the latest photo of yourself. There is no law about having identical photos on each document sent, but they should not show significant variations. My university has listed some detailed expectations like a specific size such as 50 mm X 60 mm or a white background. Once I did an application for a foreign student, who had the latest photo of himself on his id-card additionally to an almost 5 years younger photo of himself on his passport and got accepted

2) Passport page containing both photo and ID information

• Look at the deadline of validity. Different addresses might be listed on your several identification cards. This should be avoided. As I told in the requirement before, the foreign student I have done the application for did have a different residence on one of his identification cards and still got accepted

3) High school diploma with its „approved“ translation into Turkish

• This document plays an important role in the application procedure as it is handled carefully by the examination board. The translation can be done in any „approved“ translation office. My high school diploma was translated by a regular translation office and was not approved by any governmental institution, although the university required an „approved“ translation according to their webpage

4) Exam result or certificate with its „approved“ translation into Turkish

• This can be considered the most important document in the application, based on the fact that it is a significant criterion in the evaluation for the examination board. So carefully look for the completeness, integrity, and validity of this document

5) ID information

• Required for approval that the applicant can apply as a foreign student

6) Bank receipt providing information about the payment of the application fee and the applicant‘s name

Application Checklist:

Basic Biometrical Photo Passport Page with Photo and ID Information High School Diploma with Approved Translation Exam Result or Certificate with Approved Translation ID Information

Applicants should be careful of what?

Many universities provide documents on their application sides, showing a detailed template of the application with multiple pictures. Almost all application templates are in English. The online application itself does not take much time. You can complete it in less than 20-30 minutes. Remember, they usually only allow specific file types, such as PDF, and the file can not exceed a specific size, which is displayed after attempting to upload a larger file. The size limit for a specific file is at 2MB for many applications.

There are online tools for editing your files like converting their types and adjusting their sizes. One example I used is https://smallpdf.com/.

Do I need to be in Turkey to apply for University?

Thankfully no, someone does not need to be in Turkey to apply for studies. Many universities around the world, including those in Turkey, allow international applicants to apply online.

What is the application fee for medical studies in Turkey?

Almost all universities require a varying application fee, which was 150 TL / 5 euros / 5 dollars last year for my university. The application fee can be paid through a foreign bank account or a Turkish bank abroad. The bank receipt has to be uploaded to the application form. Someone may think that this can fade out, which is not the case, and would waste the time you have to spend on the purchase of the documents. Based on my experience I can say that the fees are not that high compared to other foreign universities I have applied for.

Is a certificate of equivalence required for the application?

You will need a document called a certificate of equivalence. This is most of the time not required during the application but is essential after you get accepted and enroll for your degree course. During my own application I did not need to show a certificate of equivalence. Still, I tried to get this to increase my chances for one of the 40 contingents for the English medicine program.

Therefore I called the Turkish consulate in the nearby city and asked for more information. We agreed to an appointment and I went there. It did not take much time and the employee put a little red stamp on my high school. It means that my high school degree in Germany is equal to the particular high school degree in Turkey that is required to be enrolled in the medical degree program. I have also suggested this certificate of equivalence to the foreign student I have done the application for. He has undergone the same procedure and got finally accepted too.

Conclusion

In general, I emphasize every applicant builds up the most complete and perfect application. Why? Imagine you are applying for one of the most desired course programs in the world. The universities are receiving hundreds of applications. There are quite many students with very good marks, who could easily be accepted.

Furthermore, I think that the completeness of the documents plays an important role in the evaluation. I would personally choose a complete application over an incomplete one with better exam results. A complete application emphasizes more validity and seriousness.