Armed Forces: High interest in places for military medicine students

The Federal Army offers up to ten people every year the opportunity to study at the Medical University of Vienna as part of their service.

The requirements for military medical students include military suitability and participation in the regular medical entrance test (MedAT). They must be among the top 25 percent of applicants. After training to become a doctor in general medicine or other specialties, employees are obliged to spend eight to eleven years in the armed forces. The admissions process for medical studies is currently underway - 50 people have already registered for the “Federal Army” model. The admission process for military medical studies is taking place for the third time this year, with 16 military medical students currently in training.

Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner: “The need for military doctors at home and abroad is very high. In order to guarantee medical care, we launched the model two years ago in cooperation with the Medical University of Vienna. This means that up to ten students can start studying medicine per academic year. With this measure we can secure important doctors' jobs in the armed forces in the long term and it is showing initial success! I am very pleased that we have numerous interested parties and wish all applicants all the best and much success in this year’s entrance examination.”

In order to take the entrance test for medical studies, basic military training is required, which is followed by a two-month preparatory course. 40 people can take part in the preparation course. Priority is given to soldiers from the medical sector. In order to obtain one of the ten study places, participants must be among the top 25 percent and among the first ten applicants in the armed forces. During the training period, military medical students are subject to a special contract for 20 years. You can study at the Medical University of Vienna during your service. During the course-free period, students complete the required medical internships and additional military training. Military medical students are awarded the rank of “ensign,” which identifies them as officer candidates.

In addition to general medicine, the scope of services of future doctors can also include the fields of anesthesia, ophthalmology, surgery, dermatology, ENT, internal medicine, neurology, orthopedics, psychiatry, radiology and trauma surgery. In addition to the normal care of army members, the ambulances are also necessary for examinations before the start of foreign missions as well as for aviation medical and sports medical examinations.