The Student Room Group

I want to study Medicine in Europe, but I'm not sure which agency to choose?

Hi

I wantg to go to Romania, Bulgaria or Ukraine. I've narrowed my search down to the 2 agencies 'StudyMedicineEurope' and 'Medlink Students' - they seem to have decent reviews by people on TSR but I'd like more information from anyone on here please. It's a really daunting and scary experience for me so I'd be so thankful if you could help me choose a good agency.

Thank you in advance :biggrin:
Original post by Dana.Hussein
'Medlink Students'


I've used that one before, they were good
Original post by Dana.Hussein
Hi

I wantg to go to Romania, Bulgaria or Ukraine. I've narrowed my search down to the 2 agencies 'StudyMedicineEurope' and 'Medlink Students' - they seem to have decent reviews by people on TSR but I'd like more information from anyone on here please. It's a really daunting and scary experience for me so I'd be so thankful if you could help me choose a good agency.

Thank you in advance :biggrin:


As a student now studying medicine in Cluj, I highly recommend not using an agency at all. Some may claim to 'guarantee' a place but that's because you're bribing the university and additionally paying the agency to bribe them for you. Agencies are expensive. It's much much cheaper to do the legwork yourself (get your application together and deliver it to the university you want to go to). The vast majority of students in my year skipped the agency too so it's perfectly possible.
Original post by Alaric III
As a student now studying medicine in Cluj, I highly recommend not using an agency at all. Some may claim to 'guarantee' a place but that's because you're bribing the university and additionally paying the agency to bribe them for you. Agencies are expensive. It's much much cheaper to do the legwork yourself (get your application together and deliver it to the university you want to go to). The vast majority of students in my year skipped the agency too so it's perfectly possible.



Here here!!!

Most of these TSR accounts recommending agencies that charge fees are the agents themselves!
Original post by doctor_dre
I'm in my first year of medicine in Varna, Bulgaria. I had no trouble getting in because they did all the admin work for me. I'm really happy with the university but the language here is odd, I struggle with it because the alphabet isn't latin-based, like we have in the UK. Nevertheless, it's not so bad cause most people speak English anyway. The university is modern and I'm happy here overall. I think you have to be really committed to studying medicine if you decide to travel to Europe, because of the culture shock and how hard the course is. I'm still in touch with Medlink Students, study dentistry in europe they're good.


From your research and living in Bulgaria which agency is the most popular among students there?
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by sebastian.marsh
How much did Medlink Students charge you? When did you do an application?


I saw on their site that they charge £500.

I'm from the U.K. and I would like to know if it's better to apply on my own or through an agency. I applied once on my own last year for September 2016 entry and they rejected me for some silly reason regarding my incomplete paperwork. I was really pissed off because I only applied to Varna university and had no plan B, so I had to wwait another year to apply again. I've been working and saving up money now to apply for September 2017 entry. Does anyone have any advise on whether to use an agency or not?
Original post by CheesyPasty
I saw on their site that they charge £500.

I'm from the U.K. and I would like to know if it's better to apply on my own or through an agency. I applied once on my own last year for September 2016 entry and they rejected me for some silly reason regarding my incomplete paperwork. I was really pissed off because I only applied to Varna university and had no plan B, so I had to wwait another year to apply again. I've been working and saving up money now to apply for September 2017 entry. Does anyone have any advise on whether to use an agency or not?


If an agency is charging you then don't bother. There are however some agencies officially appointed by universities and they are free because they are paid by the universities to work for them.
Original post by Ender.Dragon
If an agency is charging you then don't bother. There are however some agencies officially appointed by universities and they are free because they are paid by the universities to work for them.


Please tell me where you're getting your information from... Are you studying medicine abroad or are you just regurgitating the same non-sense in every thread? I've done my research and there are ZERO agencies that are free, and if they claim to be free then they have hidden fees that will be requested once they get you a conditional acceptance. Personally, I'd rather use someone who presents their fees publicly.
Original post by doctor_dre
Please tell me where you're getting your information from... Are you studying medicine abroad or are you just regurgitating the same non-sense in every thread? I've done my research and there are ZERO agencies that are free, and if they claim to be free then they have hidden fees that will be requested once they get you a conditional acceptance. Personally, I'd rather use someone who presents their fees publicly.


I got it directly from Masaryk University (e-mail the admissions office if you want to get the same information) and also students who went last year. The only fee I have paid is £99 to sit an exam in London - 15th July if you are interested (which has saved me a fortune on flying to Czech Republic to sit my exam).

Everything else the agency provides is free, no fee after the offer, no fee for the summer meeting before departure and no fee for the in country support. It is free as the university pays the agency to do all of this for students in the UK.

So in fact I have saved money than if I applied directly. Win win!
Original post by Ender.Dragon
I got it directly from Masaryk University (e-mail the admissions office if you want to get the same information) and also students who went last year. The only fee I have paid is £99 to sit an exam in London - 15th July if you are interested (which has saved me a fortune on flying to Czech Republic to sit my exam).

Everything else the agency provides is free, no fee after the offer, no fee for the summer meeting before departure and no fee for the in country support. It is free as the university pays the agency to do all of this for students in the UK.

So in fact I have saved money than if I applied directly. Win win!


Excuse me. I've applied independently to Varna University before. What about the price of getting documents translated, legalised and notorised? Settling into the city and signing up for services and then getting an acceptance letter from the ministry of education, finding a good apartment, doing all the legal work etc? Having someone to advise you informally with street-wise type of information and not a university employee who replies like a robot? There's loads of payments and hassle.

I don't think you're being entirely truthful. What is your agenda? You sound like you're trying to sell your "free" agency to us when we are here trying to have an honest discussion about what is best for us.
Yea, I agree! :smile:
Original post by CheesyPasty
Excuse me. I've applied independently to Varna University before. What about the price of getting documents translated, legalised and notorised? Settling into the city and signing up for services and then getting an acceptance letter from the ministry of education, finding a good apartment, doing all the legal work etc? Having someone to advise you informally with street-wise type of information and not a university employee who replies like a robot? There's loads of payments and hassle.

I don't think you're being entirely truthful. What is your agenda? You sound like you're trying to sell your "free" agency to us when we are here trying to have an honest discussion about what is best for us.


If i was trying to "sell" a free agency then why would I say contact a university admissions department? Surely that wouldn't be a good idea! Oh and the agency I have gone with for Masaryk do all accommodation arranging, help settle into the city etc. for no fee, as the university pays them to do all of this so student don't get hard earned money taken out of their back pockets.

Anyway, I did a quick check. Notarisation and Legalisation should cost about £180 (the foreign office costs 35.50 and I included that). Translation about £150 based on quick quote from one of the translations on the Bulgarian embassy website. Sending the documents should be about £30 with DHL. So we are at less than £400 and no agency to upsell this stuff. Regarding settling in etc. Well there are a lot of existing students happy to help at all universities I have enquired about. Most do so as they have been ripped off by agents and don't want to see others being fleeced.

Funny how a ton of new accounts appear to pop up on this forum once one bets banned by TSR!!!! Hmmmmmmmmm

Oh and all these quotes about an agency named above. Only one university mentioned on the website, company ran from a bedroom (domestic address written on the website) and only a mobile phone contact rather than a landline or office!!!

Yawn!

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