In the course of the admissions process, a total of 1,850 study places will be allocated at the medical universities of Vienna, Innsbruck and Graz as well as the medical faculty of the University of Linz. Almost two thirds of the applications come from women this time as well.

This time, exactly 7,881 people have registered at MedUni Vienna, which means more than ten people are interested in a place on the course. There were 3,350 applications at the Medical University of Innsbruck (around eight applications per place), at the Medical University of Graz 2,650 (around seven applications per place) and at the University of Linz 1,907 (around six applications per place). After a record 17,800 registrations in the previous year, the approximately 16,000 applications are roughly the same as in previous years.

More study places than in the previous year

With 1,850 study places, there are now 110 more than in the previous year – 70 additional places are being created in Linz, 20 in Vienna and ten each in Graz and Innsbruck. A total of 760 places are offered at the Medical University of Vienna, 410 at the Medical University of Innsbruck, 370 at the Medical University of Graz and 310 in Linz.

The admission procedure, for which a fee of 110 euros has to be paid, lasts around eight hours (including a lunch break): the tests examine previous school knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics, reading skills and text comprehension as well as cognitive abilities (number sequence, memory and putting figures together, verbal fluency, recognizing implications).

In the “social-emotional skills” part of the test, the applicants use the description of a situation to determine when and how the other person feels, or upcoming decisions with regard to their series of meanings. Prospective dentists have to prove manual practical instead of text comprehension and the recognition of implications.

Unanswered questions about CoV rules

From today’s perspective, the CoV rules that will apply to this year’s test have not yet been resolved. The protective measures would of course be “adapted accordingly” to the epidemiological risk at the time of the admissions process and the participants would be informed in good time, it said at the request of the APA. Last year, only vaccinated, recovered or tested people were allowed to participate, and an FFP2 mask had to be worn away from their own seat.

In human medicine, at least 95 percent of the places at all universities go to candidates from the EU and at least 75 percent to applicants with an Austrian Matura certificate. In dentistry, on the other hand, this quota rule has been dropped: The places are allocated to the applicants with the best test results, regardless of nationality.

For the coming academic year, it is also possible for the first time to reserve a certain number of medical study places for tasks in the public interest. Despite calls from many quarters for more panel doctors in rural areas, the model has hardly been used. Only the army has secured ten study places at MedUni Vienna.