Studying abroad: how to choose the right course of study for veterinary medicine or pharmacy?

Studying veterinary medicine

En Espagne

In Spain, veterinary studies last five years and cost around €15,000 to €16,000 per year. There are very few schools in Spain: three private schools in Valencia and Madrid. The selection process is based on grades and level of Spanish. Some universities also require a biology or biochemistry test.

In the healthcare sector, students tend to plan to return to France, even if the excellent quality of life in Spain regularly changes some of their minds!

In Portugal

In Portugal, the university course in veterinary medicine lasts six years. It is divided into two cycles, combining theory with extensive practical and clinical experience.

At the Escuela Universitaria Vasco da Gama in Coimbra, all courses are taught in French during the first year. An intensive course before the start of the academic year and Portuguese classes are also offered to prepare you to follow the rest of the curriculum in this language.

There is both a degree course in veterinary science (BioVet) and a course in veterinary medicine (MedVet), which have many subjects in common. The BioVet curriculum can be an interesting alternative if you don’t get into MedVet in your first year, as it’s usually possible to re-enter afterwards.

In Romania

Zacharie, in his second year of veterinary medicine studies at the University of Agronomic and Veterinary Sciences in Cluj-Napoca (Romania), tells us about his experience: “After a scientific baccalaureate in Strasbourg, I knew I wanted to leave France because I love traveling and meeting new people.

I still decided to do a first year of PACES in France, but soon realized that it wasn’t for me. I’d always wanted to be a vet, but was convinced that I wouldn’t be able to make it because I didn’t do very well at school.

Through friends, I learned that it was possible to study veterinary medicine in Spain, Portugal and Romania. To be admitted to Romania, I had to send in my first and final year report cards and obtain a number of certified documents from the town hall. All this is clearly explained on the university website! If you want to get into the University of Cluj in veterinary medicine, you’d better get at least a 12 average in your baccalaureate, as there are more and more applicants.

I was accepted in Portugal and Romania, but finally chose Cluj in Romania, as the city and university had been recommended to me by friends. I didn’t know a soul when I arrived, but I soon met lots of other students.

For veterinary studies, there are sections in three languages: French, English and Romanian.

I chose the English stream because it gave me more freedom for the rest of my studies, broadened my horizons and meant I wasn’t just with French people (even though there are around 30 French people in a class of 45). The fact that I was studying in English also gave me the possibility of obtaining simplified equivalences with Canada and the United States. Veterinary medicine studies last six years in Romania (compared with five years in Portugal and Spain), and the diploma is recognized throughout the EU and in Israel. The curriculum also allows you to choose a specialty such as New Pets (parrots, reptiles, rodents, etc.), or Surgery.

Classes are held entirely in English, but we also have two hours of Romanian lessons a week, so you can really get to grips with the language!

We’re very well supervised, all the teachers know us, it’s a bit like high school: the teachers’ aim is really to help us get our diploma. The curriculum is well structured and organized – the teachers have a good level of English and I’ve never had any administrative problems! I have around thirty hours of lessons a week (two hours of practical lessons and two hours of theoretical lessons for each subject) and personal work. Putting theoretical knowledge into practice in each subject really helps you learn faster. What’s more, we also have to complete a number of compulsory internships in Romania during our course, as well as visits organized by the university.

There are two real exam sessions a year (in February and June), as well as intermediate mid-term exams in December and April, which validate part of the course.

Romania is not at all what you might think. I was very pleasantly surprised by the dynamism and excellent quality of life in Cluj! It’s a great student city with lots of bars – ideal for studying but also for partying! There are also a lot of French students!

Life is really affordable: you can expect to pay €500 for a very large two-bedroom near the university, or around €160 a month for a shared room.

Prices are starting to rise as a result of the euro changeover scheduled for 2021.

Tuition fees at the University of Cluj are currently around €6,000 per year (or €36,000 for six years), but are likely to rise over the next few years. However, this is still well below tuition fees in Spain, which cost more than twice as much!

What’s more, France is only 1 hour 45 minutes away by direct flight, and plane tickets are very affordable (even €50 for a round trip). After their studies, the majority of French students decide to return to France or move to other European countries or North America. Graduates in veterinary medicine are very well received on their return to France and in many other countries, as Cluj’s vet school has a good reputation!

One last thing to bear in mind: it gets very cold in winter! Last year we had temperatures as low as -27°C, so don’t forget to bring a warm coat!

Here are 6 good reasons to attend the Open Days at your future foreign university !

Studying pharmacy

In Portugal

Roman, a pharmaceutical sciences student at CESPU University in Porto, explains why he chose Portugal to study pharmacy: « After two years of PACES in Strasbourg, I decided to move to Portugal to study pharmaceutical sciences at CESPU University in Porto.

When I arrived, the university offered all students a two-week, 30-hour course to acquire the basics of Portuguese before starting classes. However, in the first year, all classes are in French to give us time to get used to our new environment. I was really surprised by the number of foreign students, including over 500 French students, as well as many Spaniards and Italians!

The studies are demanding and I didn’t expect the level to be so high. Nevertheless, I managed to pass my first semester with a very good average and I feel really valued in this course. There’s a lot of mutual support between students, and a lot of group work!

A year’s pharmacy training in Portugal costs around €7,000 per year and lasts five years. We feel really cared for by the teachers, most of whom are Portuguese but still make the effort to speak to us in French. We also have four Portuguese language classes a week to prepare for next year, when all classes will be in Portuguese. However, my friends who are already in the higher years have reassured me that they’ve got used to it without too much difficulty.

Leaving was quite hard at first, but I come back to France regularly – plane tickets to France are indeed affordable if you buy them in advance (less than €70 for a round trip).

I met a lot of very open and kind people in Portugal. You really shouldn’t leave with a prioriWe’re all happy to be in this new environment and doing what we love! I’ve changed completely thanks to this experience: I’m very happy to have had a second chance. There’s a lot to discover in the country, and my aim is to see the whole of Portugal during my five years. Student life in Portugal is also renowned for its festivities: every year, there’s even the “Queima das fitas”, a week-long student festival that takes place all over the country! Even though my aim is to return to France after my studies, I have many friends who have fallen in love with Portugal and want to make it their permanent home! »

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En Espagne

Universidad Alfonso X (UAX), Universidad Europea Madrid (UEM), Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV) and San Pabo CEU in Madrid also offer pharmacy courses. For admission, in addition to your academic record, a B1 level in Spanish will generally be required, and in some cases you will also have to pass psycho-technical tests and a motivation interview. Tuition fees range from €10,900 (at UFV) to €15,520 (at UEM).

Here are the questions you should ask yourself before moving abroad and questions you need to ask yourself to choose the right course.

Find all the answers to your questions about studying abroad. our book “Etudier à l’étranger après le Bac” (Studyrama Editions).

Would you like more personalized support to make your study abroad project a reality? Please do not hesitate to contact contact the Your Dream School team!