The best preparation for your future as a medical doctor in Germany
Compass Health
The best preparation for your future as a medical doctor in Germany
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Excellent career chances for international medical doctors
Good news – medical doctors and other medical professionals are in high demand in Germany! The need to make up for skill shortages in various specialist areas means that there are lots of opportunities for qualified medical doctors to find work in Germany, especially in rural regions and smaller towns. The medical profession in Germany has high starting salaries and medical doctors are well paid throughout their careers. However, it is strictly regulated, and there are many conditions for international medical doctors to meet before they can work here.
Compass Health – full support for international medical doctors
Due to the increasing demand, UMCH offers – via its cooperation partner Compass Health – a placement service for international medical doctors. Compass Health has made developing a structured concept for integrating foreign medical professionals that accompanies aspiring individuals on their journey of building a new life and career in Germany its mission. It caters to medical doctors from all countries – regardless of whether they are from the EU, the European Economic Area, or any other country. Therefore, Compass Health actively identifies suitable residency programs and job positions matching the medical doctor’s interests and qualifications. Among the many cooperating medical institutions are UMCH’s teaching hospitals. In addition, Compass Health prepares them language-wise and professionally, initiates application processes and organizes job interviews with potential employing hospitals and clinics, always keeping the medical doctor’s best interest in mind.

About the Compass Health preparatory courses
Foreign medical doctors may need to undertake examinations in order to get fully recognized and be able to practice medicine or partake in residency programs in Germany. Compass Health provides a variety of preparatory courses for this purpose. They are conducted among others by the teaching body of the UMCH preparatory courses for prospective medical students. The different courses’ curriculums are based on the requirements for medical doctors in German-speaking countries and the examinations that may be associated with the recognition process of the medical license. They will take place at the UMCH Campus in Hamburg and/or online. Compass Health courses cover a variety of content international medical doctors need to know to be equipped for future success in their profession. Depending on which course you would like to choose, the following contents can be included: language competence, job coaching, cultural understanding, personality development, leadership skills, and all-round administrative assistance.
All details of the Compass Health courses can be found here.
The Medical Practice in Germany program of Compass Health was designed to train licensed, international physicians that wish to start or continue their medical career in Germany.
The Medical Practice in Germany program of Compass Health was designed to train licensed, international physicians that wish to start or continue their medical career in Germany.
Course overview
Course name | Duration | Format | German level | Requirements |
Residency in Germany (intensive) | 32 weeks | Intensive course | From A1 to B2/C1 | Finished medical degree |
Residency in Germany (extra-occupational) |
56 weeks | Extra-occupational | From A1 to B2/C1 | Medical student in the 4th academic year |
Preparatory course Kenntnisprüfung | 6 weeks | Intensive course | B2/C1 | Finished medical degree |
Preparatory course Fachsprachprüfung | 6 weeks | Intensive course | From B2 to C1 | Finished medical degree, B2 level German |