Graduated From Plovdiv Medical University Bulgaria & Now a doctor in Birmingham! AMA

Hi, I just wanted to ask how old are first year students currently studying at Plovdiv? I am currently finished 2nd year of an Science degree here in the UK and I still want to pursue Medicine as that was what I hoping to do after my A-Levels in 2019. I just turned 20 two months back and I feel I might be a bit old to study abroad since I would be 2 years behind all my peers? Also would you recommend me to pursue graduate medicine or go abroad now since I would finish my degree in the same year both ways?

Hi, I'm just finishing my first year at plovdiv!! There are a lot of grads that have done biomed and other science degrees so a lot of my friends here are in their twenties, the oldest one being 28. I myself am 20 lol. That being said the majority of the year are fresh out of a levels. Definitely apply for grad med in the uk as it'll be a lot better, worst case scenario you don't get a place and you come here with a degree under your belt.

Thanks a lot for the reply! Thats good to hear that there is a wide range of age groups in the university Also just wanted to ask what do you think are the disadvantages of studying abroad compared to UK cause I am really trying to figure out whet her go abroad now or graduate medicine like I said! I heard that when you get back that you won’t be given a good location to work in compared to the UK graduates is there any truth to that?

The UK has a high standard of university education and their medical schools are definitely more developed and with better facilities. You would also gain a lot of experience in the NHS which is invaluable if you plan to work there after graduation. The down side is that it's really competitive to get in, and even though you'll get a tuition loan, £9250 a year is a lot of money. Living costs are also very high.

Studying abroad in general will be cheaper (Plovdiv is €8000 a year) and living costs are really low (average rent for a decent 1 bed apartment is 250-400 euros). The course is a master's degree of 6 years, first 2 years are preclinical, then you'll have placements from 3rd-5th and the 6th year is a 1 year clinical rotation in Bulgarian hospitals and your state exams. The 6th year is basically equivalent to F1 in the UK so some people choose to apply straight to F2 when they graduate but most people redo F1 in the UK to gain experience in the NHS.

They don't discriminate against European graduates but jobs in big cities are very competitive even for UK graduates. From 2024 everyone, UK and non-UK grad alike, will have to do the UKMLA so it doesn't really matter where you graduate from. As long as you try getting placements in the UK in the holidays and actively make sure your practical skills are up to par, you shouldn't be at a disadvantage.

Brexit doesn't change the fact that the GMC recognises the course either, just means you'll need a visa to study in Europe.

If you have a good chance of getting into grad med in the UK, that is still definitely the better option but if you want to play it safe, entry to plovdiv is pretty easy. If you have any more questions let me know! ☺️

The UK has a high standard of university education and their medical schools are definitely more developed and with better facilities. You would also gain a lot of experience in the NHS which is invaluable if you plan to work there after graduation. The down side is that it's really competitive to get in, and even though you'll get a tuition loan, £9250 a year is a lot of money. Living costs are also very high.

Studying abroad in general will be cheaper (Plovdiv is €8000 a year) and living costs are really low (average rent for a decent 1 bed apartment is 250-400 euros). The course is a master's degree of 6 years, first 2 years are preclinical, then you'll have placements from 3rd-5th and the 6th year is a 1 year clinical rotation in Bulgarian hospitals and your state exams. The 6th year is basically equivalent to F1 in the UK so some people choose to apply straight to F2 when they graduate but most people redo F1 in the UK to gain experience in the NHS.

They don't discriminate against European graduates but jobs in big cities are very competitive even for UK graduates. From 2024 everyone, UK and non-UK grad alike, will have to do the UKMLA so it doesn't really matter where you graduate from. As long as you try getting placements in the UK in the holidays and actively make sure your practical skills are up to par, you shouldn't be at a disadvantage.

Brexit doesn't change the fact that the GMC recognises the course either, just means you'll need a visa to study in Europe.

If you have a good chance of getting into grad med in the UK, that is still definitely the better option but if you want to play it safe, entry to plovdiv is pretty easy. If you have any more questions let me know! ☺️

Hi, thank you so much, this is very helpful. Just wondering how did you apply to Bulgaria? Was it by yourself or with an agency? Whats does the process involve and would you recommend applying with an agency?

Thanks so much for the help I also just wanted ask for Dentistry is it the same as Medicine where you won’t be discriminated against once your back working in the UK for example if you want to work in private practice?

I am really confused at the moment between either Medicine or Dentistry since I don’t want waste time again by switching between both them again ahaha, like I like the lifestyle of a Dentist but I prefer the work of a Doctor more so its just really confusing 😅! What advice would you give me to decide between both of them and where u faced with the same dilemma as me?😅

Hi, thank you so much, this is very helpful. Just wondering how did you apply to Bulgaria? Was it by yourself or with an agency? Whats does the process involve and would you recommend applying with an agency?

Hi is there anything you would recommend taking with you when first flying out?

The dentistry course is just as hard as the medicine one, if not harder. I'm pretty sure the degree is recognised equally and you won't get discriminated against as there are a lot of British dental students here, but it's something I don't really know much about.

I always had my heart set on medicine so I didn't even consider dentistry to be honest. However, the lifestyle of a doctor is all about compromise and you do have to give up a lot of things. For example, if you want children, you have to consider what kind of childhood you would be able to give them, especially if your partner would also have a busy job. In this case, if family life is more important, dentistry would be way better. Every person has different priorities so this completely depends on you. However, if you read books like "this is going to hurt" you will get a better insight on how busy a doctor actually is and how this affects your social life and relationships.

Another consideration is that even after 6 years of med school, you would have to do 2 years foundation and like 7 years training to even become a consultant where as with dentistry I think its a lot shorter.

Feel free to pm me if you have any more questions, I also have some dentistry friends I can get you in contact with!!

I feel it’s a little in-fair to say that medicine as a profession will prevent you from raising your kids, most jobs especially those out of hours ones like night shifts are run by people who are healthy and have a great family life! Don’t let it put you off, everyone has to make slight compromises

M

Those plug adapter things for European plug sockets. It's still really hot in September but it gets freezing in winter so just be wary. You can either pay for extra luggage or ship a parcel of your stuff from home. Everything with regards to kitchen utensils and new things for your apartment is relatively cheap in Bulgaria. However, they don't really have a lot of the food you get in the uk so most of us students bring suitcases of food when we come from home. Apart from that, when you first fly out, honestly, nothing i can think of, because you're going to be buying everything for your new place the first few days/bringing it from home, so it's just normal home stuff for when you move anywhere. Bulgaria is a cash country tho and most places don't accept card so bring some bulgarian leva. Or, what a lot of us do is we make a metro bank account (or revolut or any other bank that works in Europe), and we can use it at ATMS for free withdrawals. Basically you put pounds in the account and you can take out leva. Oh, also most of us don't drink the tap water so a water filter jug with replaceable filters is a good investment.

That's all I can think of right now but pm me if you have questions!!

Hey guys, I am a graduate from Plovdiv Medical University in Bulgaria and I’m currently working in the UK. If anyone has any questions about studying in Bulgaria or working in the UK, fire away!

Hey guys, I am a graduate from Plovdiv Medical University in Bulgaria and I’m currently working in the UK. If anyone has any questions about studying in Bulgaria or working in the UK, fire away!

Hey guys, I am a graduate from Plovdiv Medical University in Bulgaria and I’m currently working in the UK. If anyone has any questions about studying in Bulgaria or working in the UK, fire away!

Hey I've also applied to Plovdiv Medical University (I'm from the UK), please can you give me a detailed explanation of how you came back and started working in the UK after 6 years. Were you required to sit an exam? I think I'll have to give the UKMLA... Did you go straight into FY2 or FY1 to gain NHS experience? Also is there discrimination against IMGs in the NHS? Please let me know your experience. Thanks.

Hi, I’m planning to apply to Plovdiv Medical School this year too. Just waiting to hear back from Keele Medical School. Can I ask are you using an agency and if so which one? Thanks

Hey I've also applied to Plovdiv Medical University (I'm from the UK), please can you give me a detailed explanation of how you came back and started working in the UK after 6 years. Were you required to sit an exam? I think I'll have to give the UKMLA... Did you go straight into FY2 or FY1 to gain NHS experience? Also is there discrimination against IMGs in the NHS? Please let me know your experience. Thanks.