Berlin Boasts a High Number of Medical Study Opportunities - High concentration of medical facilities in Berlin
In the heart of Europe, Berlin stands out as a beacon for medical education, offering significantly more study places compared to other German federal states. This is primarily due to the city's hosting of multiple prestigious medical faculties, most notably Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, one of the largest and most renowned medical institutions in Germany.
The presence of Charité, a top-tier medical school, plays a crucial role. Jointly run by Humboldt University and the Free University of Berlin, this institution significantly increases the overall number of study places available. Besides Charité, both universities also contribute with their own faculties and research infrastructure.
Berlin's status as Germany's capital and largest city also contributes to its lead. As a federal state and metropolitan hub, Berlin attracts substantial funding for education and research, which supports larger and more diverse medical faculties capable of admitting more students compared to smaller states.
Moreover, Berlin places a strong emphasis on medical research and healthcare. The city's universities maintain strong research profiles and partnerships with hospitals, enabling expanded medical education capacity.
However, the physician shortage in Germany remains a known issue. Despite Berlin's efforts, the number of aspiring students is not enough to fully address this shortage. In fact, for the winter semester 2024/25, around 10,000 first-year students secured a medical study place at a university, while approximately 20,000 applicants were unsuccessful.
The Center for Higher Education Development (CHE) in Gütersloh conducted a study on medical study places in various cities, revealing significant differences between federal states. While Berlin has 17 medical study places per 100,000 inhabitants, relatively good compared to other states, the Saarland and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern have more, with 29 and 26 per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively.
Other cities, such as Hamburg and Saxony-Anhalt, follow Berlin with 19 medical study places each. Unfortunately, cities like Bremen and Brandenburg do not currently offer any medical study places at their state universities. However, Brandenburg expects the Medical University of Lausitz to train the first medical students in the winter semester of 2026/27.
The high costs of medical faculties are a significant factor in the varying commitment of the federal states, according to CHE. The annual running costs per person in the field of human medicine/health sciences are approximately 25,000 euros, according to the Federal Statistical Office. These costs might contribute to the differences between federal states in terms of medical study places.
In conclusion, Berlin's lead in medical study places is a testament to the city's commitment to medical education and research. However, the physician shortage in Germany is a complex issue that requires a concerted effort from all federal states to address.
