Medical studies in Carinthia: 400 applicants fight for coveted places!

Medical studies in Carinthia: 400 applicants fight for coveted places!

On February 15, 2025, around 400 prospective medical students gathered in lecture hall A at the University of Klagenfurt to take part in a free preparation course for the MedAT, the aptitude test for studying medicine. State Health Councilor Beate Prettner opened the event and explained that this course has been aimed at increasing the number of Carinthian students in the field of human medicine since 2013. Given the fact that there are only 1,850 study places in human and dental medicine in the whole of Austria and over 12,000 applicants apply every year, this offer is of great importance. The high demand reflects the strong interest of young people.

Around 95 percent of the places are for EU citizens

How medizinstudieren.at reported, at least 95 percent of the available study places are reserved for EU citizens. For the 2024/2025 academic year, interested candidates are invited to apply by April 1st for a dedicated study place, which is linked to a contractual obligation to work in the public health service for at least five years after training. Around a third of the participants in the preparation course are interested in these special places, which include 87 study places.

Prettner points out the urgency of creating more study places: “There are around eight applicants for every study place – a clear sign of the need for medical professionals.” She calls for more support for future doctors and criticizes the fact that almost 90 percent of applicants are rejected. The next steps include not only a test simulation on April 12th, but also intensive preparations to promote exchange between the students and the medBuddy learning platform. Registrations for this preparation are possible until February 24th.