Medical Degree in the Czech Republic

Medicine in the Czechia: From school straight to master's degree

A doctor in the Czech Republic is a graduate of a six-year master’s degree program called Všeobecné lékařství (General Medicine). After graduation, they are given the title Doctor of Medicine (Czech abbreviation – MUDr.) There are 5 medical faculties at Charles University where this degree can be obtained.

Foreign bachelor’s medical degree

While in the Czech Republic there is only a master’s degree, in other countries medical education can be organized differently. For example, a number of countries have such a thing as a bachelor’s degree in medicine. It can last six years as well, but graduates do not receive a doctorate after finishing their studies. To start practicing, they have to spend a couple of years doing their internship, and only after that they are considered doctors in their countries.

Sometimes we get questions from those who have studied for a bachelor’s degree in medicine outside the Czech Republic – they ask us if it is possible for them to continue their education studying the Czech master’s degree program. Unfortunately, we have to disappoint these students – little can come of this idea. Why?

Nostrification of bachelor’s medical degree

The point is that in order to study in the Czech Republic, a foreigner has to go through the procedure of his educational documents recognition (for more details on nostrification, see the corresponding section). The usual procedure is as follows – those who want to apply for a bachelor’s degree program, have to nostrify their school certificate. Those who want to apply for a master’s degree program need to nostrify a bachelor’s degree diploma. But this is not the case when it comes to medical education.

Since there is no such thing as a “medical bachelor’s degree” in the Czech Republic, there is nothing to nostrify/recognize. You may have a medical bachelor’s degree diploma in your hands that is valid in your country, but it does not exist in the Czech education system. If such a student wants to become a doctor, having received a Czech medical education, they will have to go all the way from beginning to end: school certificate nostrification, and after that – six years of Czech medical master’s degree. Unfortunately, it is not possible to continue medical education on the basis of a bachelor’s degree diploma.

Is there really nothing you can do?

Unfortunately, nothing. We can suggest a few options for those students who do not want to start all over again:

1. Complete your studies to become a doctor in your country, then nostrify your medical diploma, learn Czech, pass the approbation exams and finally get the right to work as a doctor in the Czech Republic (read about preparation for the approbation exams on our main website).

2. Change your direction. You are not able to nostrify your bachelor’s degree diploma as a medical professional, however, you can nostrify it as a healthcare professional. There is a bachelor’s degree in health care. We are talking about such fields of study as nutritionist, physiotherapist, obstetrician, hygienist, general care specialist, diagnostics laboratory assistant, radiologist’s assistant, pediatric care, pharmaceutical chemistry, occupational therapy, phytomedicine, nursing, optics and optometry, emergency medical service, etc.

If you nostrify your diploma in this way, you will be able to obtain a master’s degree in areas related to the health care system. You can find links to these and other study programs in our catalogue (in progress).