Medical students have the legal right to transfer from one university to another. Moreover, their current university has an obligation to provide a transcript and letter of evaluation to another institution upon the student’s request.

However, not all universities accept transfer students. In addition, schools in the UK do not accept transfer students from foreign countries. At the same time, US universities are less likely to recognize credits (classes) from non-US schools. European universities remain most advantageous in this regard since their requirements are relatively liberal.
Last but not least, students can transfer only to the same program; they cannot transfer from dentistry to medicine, for example. Thus, aspiring doctors have a limited range of viable options when moving from one school to another.

Can You Transfer Between Medical Schools?

These are the rules of thumb that will help you to figure out whether you can transfer to a medical school or not:

● At least 1 year of studies is required to apply as a transfer student.
● Universities usually accept transfers at the beginning of an academic year, though some schools are exceptions to the rule.
● Transfer requests are considered only if there are available seats at the university.
● Some universities have minimum grade requirements for transcripts.
● Universities that accept transfers in Europe are more likely to accept a transfer than those in the UK and USA.
● Students should demonstrate a legitimate reason for their decision to change schools.

If you pass all of the above requirements, your application covers the basic requirements for a transfer to most schools.

Medical schools that accept transfers need to match the applicant’s transcript to their own curriculums. Universities have differing curriculums, which is usually the case when they are in different countries. Thus, medical schools that allow transfers should ensure that students meet the requirements for successful graduation according to their curriculum and local legislation.

Therefore, aspiring doctors may have to take some extra courses not covered in their transfer transcripts. Usually, the more years they have studied, the more courses they will take. A student transferring after 1 year will have to cover fewer additional classes (if any) than a student moving after 4 years of studying.

Aspiring doctors usually take no more than a semester or two of additional courses. There is no going around this rule, and minor differences might exist between universities due to their unique curriculums.