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01 EDITORIAL

Welcome to MedStudy

Choosing an overseas healthcare degree brings several decisions together: what you want to study, where you can train well, how you will fund it and where you hope to practise afterwards. A prospectus can begin the conversation. Good decisions also need clear questions and reliable sources.

I am Mihail Florin Gavrila, founder of MedStudy. I created this independent UK-based educational project to help students and families make informed choices. My professional background is as a Notary Public and Solicitor in England and Wales. MedStudy is not authorised or regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Faculty Office; its purpose is educational information.

This November pre-launch edition introduces our approach: compare carefully, ask better questions and keep the official evidence beside each important decision. It is for students, families and advisers exploring medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine internationally.

December 2026 will be our first regular monthly edition, numbered Issue 01. This preview sits outside that numbering. Begin by noting your preferred profession, intended country of practice and earliest realistic intake, with an alternative route alongside it.

02 EDITORIAL

Compare the complete study and career route

Build a short, evidence-led comparison before you rank universities. For every option, record the exact degree title, awarding institution, campus, teaching language, course length and intended intake. Similar names can hide different qualifications or routes.

Then compare four connected questions. Can I enter with my qualifications? Can I complete the academic and clinical training? Can I afford the full journey? What must I do to practise in my intended destination after graduation?

Give each answer a source, a date and a status: confirmed, conditional or still unknown. An unanswered question is not a negative verdict, but it is a reason to pause before paying a deposit.

Use MedStudy as a starting point for exploration. Obtain programme-specific answers from the university, and professional-registration answers from the relevant regulator. Do not treat an agent's assurance, a university ranking or another graduate's experience as a personal decision on your eligibility.

A practical first shortlist is three well-researched options plus one fallback, with the reasons for choosing each written in plain English.

03 PRACTICAL GUIDANCE

Check entry requirements and the language of care

Academic admission and language readiness deserve separate checks. Ask which school-leaving qualification, science subjects, grades, entrance tests and interview requirements apply to your intake and applicant category. Request written guidance where your qualification is not explicitly listed.

For example, Semmelweis University's medicine admissions guidance describes science preparation, English-language assessment and an entrance examination. Its English-language medicine curriculum also includes Medical Hungarian. This is a useful reminder that the language of lectures does not tell you everything about the language needed during training.

For every shortlist entry, ask when patient contact begins, which language is used, what level must be reached, how it is assessed and what happens if you do not pass. Ask whether language tuition is included in the published fee.

Begin language learning early enough to make steady progress. A plan that depends on learning everything immediately before clinical placements needs a more realistic timetable.

Supporting source: Semmelweis medicine curriculum - Open source

04 EDITORIAL

Build a budget for the full degree

A first-year tuition figure is not a full-course budget. Create a separate line for every year of study, and record the currency, academic year and applicant category attached to each published amount. Leave an unknown amount blank and flag it for confirmation; do not enter zero.

Alongside tuition, ask about application and enrolment charges, equipment, examinations, clinical placements, insurance, travel, accommodation deposits and living costs. Include potential language courses and the later costs of professional registration or additional training.

Keep confirmed funding separate from hoped-for funding. For a scholarship, record its eligibility rules, value, duration, renewal conditions and decision date. Ask what happens if it is not renewed. Model an exchange-rate change and an additional year before deciding what is affordable.

Request the university's current refund and deferral terms before paying. Record when a deposit becomes non-refundable and which conditions could affect a refund.

This issue intentionally gives no headline tuition comparisons: without matching intake-specific schedules, a cheap-looking number can create a misleading comparison.

05 PRACTICAL GUIDANCE

Medicine: ask the GMC about the qualification

For a future UK medical career, the General Medical Council is the authoritative starting point. Its guidance warns applicants against relying on a third party's claim that an overseas course is "GMC recognised". The GMC does not endorse or accredit overseas medical education, and an earlier graduate's acceptance does not establish your own eligibility.

The GMC says it can provide definitive confirmation about the acceptability of a course of study only after completion, although it may give general guidance beforehand. Read its criteria and contact it directly if anything about your proposed qualification or training route is unclear.

Record the exact award, university, campus, study pattern and clinical training arrangements in your research. Ask separately about the applicable registration route, examinations, internship or experience evidence, English-language evidence and other requirements.

For your shortlist, write "GMC route to investigate" rather than a promise of UK registration. Recheck the requirements as your plans develop and before major financial commitments. A university offer is an admission decision; it is not a GMC registration decision.

06 PRACTICAL GUIDANCE

Dentistry: identify the applicable registration route

A dental degree and permission to practise in the UK are different stages. The General Dental Council distinguishes recognised overseas qualifications, eligible EEA qualifications and applicants who need an examination route. Your route depends on the precise qualification and the requirements in force when you apply.

Current arrangements are not a promise about the rules at graduation. The GDC says that the recognition process for eligible EEA qualifications was extended for five years following a 2023 review; it does not know what arrangements will follow. Students starting a multi-year degree should monitor updates and seek advice for their intended graduation date.

Use the GDC's own guidance to identify the relevant route and evidence. If an examination route applies, investigate eligibility, preparation, booking arrangements and costs early. Budget separately for the time between graduation and registration.

Ask the university for the exact qualification title and details of clinical training. Resolve any difference between marketing claims and the regulator's guidance before committing. Teaching in English or acceptance in another country does not establish eligibility for the UK register.

Supporting source: GDC guidance for EEA qualifications - Open source

07 PRACTICAL GUIDANCE

Pharmacy: plan beyond the overseas degree

The General Pharmaceutical Council regulates pharmacists in Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has a separate regulator, so first be clear about where you intend to practise.

For applicants covered by the GPhC's international-registration factsheet, the route includes an Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme (OSPAP), 52 weeks of foundation training and a pass in the registration assessment. The GPhC assesses eligibility before the OSPAP stage. Different routes apply to some qualifications, so confirm the route for your exact qualification and circumstances.

This has a practical effect on planning: compare the overseas degree and the later Great Britain pathway together. Investigate the additional tuition, living costs, training recruitment timetable and evidence requirements. Completing educational requirements does not by itself guarantee a job or the right to live and work in the UK.

Ask the GPhC which route applies to your qualification and circumstances. For Northern Ireland, consult the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland directly. Keep a dated record of the advice, and revisit it before relying on a long-term cost or career projection.

Northern Ireland regulator: Open source

08 PRACTICAL GUIDANCE

Veterinary medicine: look ahead to graduation

For veterinary practice in the UK, start with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Its European qualification guidance illustrates why a prospective student must look beyond today's entry requirements.

For mainland European qualifications covered by its European-registration guidance, the RCVS states that, from January 2029, EAEVE accreditation alone will no longer provide automatic recognition. Its guidance says qualifications from directly RCVS-accredited programmes will be accepted, while graduates of programmes without that accreditation will need the statutory membership examination. Check the current route for your exact qualification and circumstances directly with the RCVS.

For a degree begun now and completed after that change, a statement about recognition today is not enough. Record the exact programme, graduation year and accreditation position relevant to your planned route.

Ask the university for evidence of its current status and any stated accreditation plans, but do not treat a planned application or expected decision as approval. Include the possibility of an examination route in your time and cost research. Monitor the regulator's updates during the course rather than waiting until final year.

09 EDITORIAL

A November planning session for students and advisers

Use one meeting to turn a general ambition into a practical research file. The student should leave with a short list of unanswered questions, named sources and realistic next actions.

1. Confirm the intended profession and country of practice.
2. Gather qualification titles, subjects, predicted or final results and language evidence.
3. Compare three programmes using the same headings and academic year.
4. Save official admissions and regulator links with the date checked.
5. Build a full-course budget and a fallback funding plan.
6. Set reminders for application, test, scholarship and deposit dates only after verifying them.
7. Identify any accessibility or ongoing healthcare arrangements to discuss privately with the institution.

Before travel, check student visa or residence requirements, healthcare cover, accommodation terms and official country advice. The FCDO recommends checking the destination's requirements and consulting the relevant embassy and education provider.

Keep personal documents in a secure folder. This publication is for general information; send sensitive records only through the institution's approved channels.

10 EDITORIAL

Coming in December: Issue 01

Our first regular edition will build on this preview with practical comparisons, source-led reporting and questions that help readers act on what they learn.

The planned December focus is a stronger shortlist: understanding programme differences, organising an application calendar and separating verified costs from estimates. We also intend to include a school-adviser briefing and a closer look at the steps between graduation and professional practice. Final contents will depend on available, verified material.

For now, explore the MedStudy guides and prepare the questions that matter to your own route. Keep this edition as a working reference alongside current university, immigration and regulatory requirements.

November 2026 is the pre-launch edition. December 2026 is Issue 01. Subsequent regular editions will follow the monthly sequence.

Sources checked on 27 October 2026. Requirements can change: confirm the current position with the university or regulator before applying, paying fees or making travel plans.

Explore MedStudy: Open source