Q1 Is this the only medical school in southeastern Bulgaria?
+Yes. The Faculty of Medicine at Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov University is described as the only medical faculty anywhere in southeastern Bulgaria.
Burgas is a port city in Bulgaria that is on the Black Sea. This beach city is well-known for its mild weather and steady flow of summer visitors. It is the only medical school in this part of southeastern Bulgaria, and it is part of Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov University. You can live in a place on the coast instead of one of Bulgaria's bigger university cities in the middle of the country, like Sofia or Plovdiv, and still go to this school.
There are real, long-standing roots at the university as a whole, but the medical school is fairly new. It began on October 6, 1963, as an institute for chemical technology, in line with Burgas's history as a place where things were made and improved. In 1995, when Bulgaria's National Assembly gave its official yes, it turned into a real university. The natural sciences, the social sciences, and the technical sciences are now its three main departments. It also has a technical college, a college for tourism, and its own Medical College, which trains nurses and other health workers.
When you really think about it, the Faculty of Medicine is pretty new. The school of medicine is one of the newest in Bulgaria; it opened in 2019. There are a few slightly different times for when the English-taught track first began. Some sources say that teachers who teach in English have been there since the school opened in 2019, while others say that the English program started in 2023. So, people who want to apply should ask the university directly when teaching in English began and how many full groups have finished the program so far. This knowledge changes how much of a real track record there is for the degree that is taught in English.
It takes six years to get a Master's in medicine. For kids from other countries, the school only speaks English. There are ten classes in the program, and at the end, students must do an internship before they can graduate. This makes sure that the students have a form that is the same at all medical schools in Bulgaria and Europe. Once you finish college, there is no way to become a doctor because there isn't one in Bulgaria. Up to the second year, students can transfer from other medical schools. However, if they came in with a different course load, they may need to take extra classes to catch up with the current course sequence.
In line with how most medical schools in Europe work, the course is set up in stages. It is in the early years that core sciences like anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and histology are taught. In the later years, students learn more about general medicine, pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, and areas that are used in the real world. They do full clinical rotations in all major specialties before they have to do an internship. This has changed in the last few years.
There are things on the Burgas site that make it look like a brand-new building. There are six classroom rooms that make up the medical school. Along with that, there is a Central Research Laboratory and an Electronic Computing Center. Students can use up-to-date labs and simulation centers to practice their clinical skills in real life. This gives them a modern place to train that was made with modern ways of teaching in mind instead of using equipment that is decades old. The university runs three student canteens, three student hostels, and sports facilities as a whole. Every student who doesn't already live in Burgas will have a place to stay in one of the dorms.
To get in, you need to fill out an official application and pass a test. Those who want to apply must have an official high school diploma and biology and chemistry grades that have been changed to the Bulgarian system of grades in line with national education rules. If English is not your first language, you must be able to say and understand English at least at the B1 level. At the filing stage, it costs 150 euros to handle the paperwork. This is on top of the school fee. Students-to-be should check with the university directly to make sure they understand how the current entrance test is set up, as information from outside sources on this subject varies.
Many people have different ideas about how much this school costs, which is something you should be aware of. Most sources say that the annual cost of the Medicine program taught in English is between 10,000 and 10,000 euros. For all of Bulgaria's medical schools, the average fee range is between 7,500 and 10,500 euros. This is on the higher end of that range. One small but real difference has been reported in the numbers given. To be sure of the exact amount before making any financial plans, it is best to ask the university for a direct, up-to-date, written fee schedule.
Being aware that the degree is based on strong European grounds. The school says that the MD degree is valid all over the European Union. These rules help college graduates who want to work as doctors in many countries after they finish school. The university also works with research universities and universities in many other countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Romania, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia. Staff and students can share academic materials, do research together, and talk about their ideas through these deals.
Burgas has a lot to offer outside of school hours. The airport is only eleven kilometers from the city center, making it easy for students to get to other places. The city is right on the Black Sea. Most of the time, it costs less to live here than in Sofia or Plovdiv, two larger places in the middle of Bulgaria. During the summer, the city is always full of people from all over the world. It has a really lively, international feel, and there are lots of festivals and outdoor events to enjoy.
There is only one place in Bulgaria where students can get a medical degree in English. It is in a brand-new, purpose-built building in a quiet coastal city instead of one of Bulgaria's busier cities in the middle of the country. Since both the medical faculty and the English-taught track are pretty new, people who want to enrolll should carefully look into the current fees, the program's history, and its status as a recognized school before they do so. They shouldn't just believe the general marketing claims they see on websites that offer education consulting.
