In the "El Dorado" of white coats: aspiring doctors are moving to the Balkans

Monday, Sep 29, 2025

Students from countries like France and Greece study medicine abroad due to limited local spots.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

French students are increasingly studying medicine abroad due to limited opportunities and highly selective entry requirements in France. Clarisse, a French student, chose Romania because it lacks a competitive exam after the first year, while others opt for Bulgaria or private Spanish universities. Romania is attracting many French students; among foreign students in Romanian medical schools between 2020 and 2024, Israelis and French were the largest groups. Similarly, Bulgarian universities attract numerous Greek and British students due to lower costs and admission requirements based on chemistry and biology tests. This trend highlights systemic issues in countries like France, where limited spots, high training costs, and poor working conditions lead to emigration of young doctors. While some foreign medical programs aim to increase enrollment, many graduates eventually return home, creating a “paradoxical shortage” of doctors in their home countries despite high graduation numbers.


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