MedConnect Europe Ltd

MedConnect Europe and its medical study placement service

MedConnect Europe Ltd is a student recruitment and support organisation that helps applicants secure places on medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine courses taught entirely in English at partner universities in continental Europe. The company presents itself as a group of doctors and students who have followed the same route, and states that more than 5,000 students have joined its programmes. Its offer centres on lower entry requirements than UK medical schools, no UCAT or BMAT, and, in selected universities, guaranteed entry.

The service is aimed particularly at British applicants who cannot obtain a place in the United Kingdom. The company argues that growing competition leaves many candidates without an offer or pushes them towards degrees they do not want, and positions study in Eastern and other European countries as an alternative with lower grade requirements and lower tuition fees. It also states that its medicine and dentistry degrees are globally recognised and that graduates can practise in the UK, the USA, the Middle East and across Europe.

Courses and graduate entry

The academic offer covers three main tracks:

• Medicine, including four-year graduate entry programmes.
• Dentistry.
• Veterinary medicine.

All courses are described as taught in English. The company notes that its graduates obtain a Masters-level degree, whereas UK medical and dental students typically graduate with a Bachelors degree before completing an additional foundation year.

Partner universities by country

The list of partner institutions spans twelve countries:

• Bulgaria: Plovdiv Medical University, Pleven Medical University, Sofia Medical University, Trakia Medical University, Varna Medical University and Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov University in Burgas.
• Cyprus: European University Cyprus.
• Czech Republic: University of Ostrava and Palacky University.
• Georgia: Alte University, Caucasus International University, Tbilisi State Medical University and Tbilisi Medical Academy.
• Italy: UniCamillus.
• Latvia: Rīga Stradiņš University.
• Malta: ACS College Malta and MediCampus Europeo.
• Romania: Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine, Ovidius University Constanta, Cluj Medical University, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Craiova Medical University and Vasile Goldis Western University.
• Poland: Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski University in Krakow, Academy of Silesia, Medical University of Silesia and Wroclaw Medical University.
• Slovakia: Pavol Jozef Šafárik University.

Germany and Hungary also appear among the destinations, although the extracted material does not name specific institutions for those two countries.

The four-phase support process

MedConnect Europe structures its work in four stages. The first is admission support: advisers help with the application, the entrance exam and a legalisation and translation service included in the package. The second covers relocation, with what the company describes as a hands-on service to settle students into their new city and home. The third is ongoing support during the four to six years of study, delivered by a specialist team based at the partner universities. The fourth is alumni support after graduation.

The company also states that it assists students with guidance on how to register to work in their chosen country and begin their careers, and that it is the only agency offering preparation for the UKMLA (UK Medical Licensing Assessment) as part of its services. Students receive the textbooks needed to start their course and class notes from top-performing students.

Positioning and track record

MedConnect Europe describes itself as more than a recruitment agency, noting that it began as a project supporting students already studying medicine in Europe and developed links with partner universities and with organisations that help students during their studies and after graduation. It claims to be one of the most prominent organisations in this field and to offer the best value service for students seeking dentistry or medicine places. It also states that its network of universities allows it to propose alternatives if an applicant is not admitted to a first-choice institution.

The site presents testimonials from students at Plovdiv Medical University in Bulgaria and at Grigore T. Popa University in Romania, describing help with applications, university transfers and problems arising during the semester. A Trustpilot reference appears in the material without an associated score.

Consultation and contact

The company offers a free application assessment, a university selector tool and a free consultation as entry points to its service. It publishes a London telephone number and a general email address, and maintains a YouTube channel with videos about the process.