-After the interviews i have to get back to Egypt before i can change my Visa status or i can change it
while i am still in germany?
you must get back to egypt, as the first visa "Shengen" can not be turned into "working visa".
- There is a small thing that was wrong:
When you have appointment in the embassy for applying for a working visa, they ask you for the
egyptian working permit as well (translated and accredited) besides the (German Working Permit).
Why Germany needs foreign doctors to work? aren't there enough germany doctors?
A- Actually, german doctors began some years ago to leave the country, this made a strong need for
doctors from outside (such as other europian countries and from other countries..)
Statistics showed that in the year 2007 more than 25 000 german doctors left the country moving to
(England, Norwy, Sweden, Danemark...) ..the reason that German doctors leave the country, is that they
think they take little money compared to other jobs, they work longer, they have night shifts and
weekend shits, that is why they began to leave the country,
But i tell u something, the salaries began to be good in Germany, esp. in the last 2 years and a good
news, that last month salaries increased by 500 euro (Brutto = before taxes and insurance), so do not
have worries about money, the salary is enough for a small family to live and also you can save money
as well.
Of course in Scandnavian countries and England they have higher salaries compared to Germany, but in
Germany there is a good training system and an easier pathway than others.
Is our medical education recognized by the German Health Authorities?
Yes, when you start the process of finding a job, you have to translate your graduation certificate and
then accredit it from the german embassy (in addition to other papers) ( i will post a topic about papers
needed for work).
No, there is no "Mo3adla", there is only something called "Kenntnisse Prüfung" which means "Knowledge
Exam", and you do not have to do it immediately, you can do it within the first 1 and half year of you
residency, I will explain it later in a separate post. But do not worry, just a hint about it, it is just an
exam to make sure that you are a doctor LOL, it is an oral exam in (Surgery, Internal Medicine,
Emergency medicine), and they tell you the recommended references to study from.
Inshallah the details i will tell later, it is still too early for that.
Where to start?
A- The answer as i said hundreds of times before..learn German language.
Besides learning German language, if you have experience in the specialty you want to work in that
would be a plus (in some areas it is a must) but generally many jobs do not require pre-knowlege, and
they write this in the ad (the job is for beginners and also for people with experience) so both have
equal chances to apply.
If you have a master degree or MD or any other recognized degree, that may help you reducing the
residency period (for example if you have a master degree in cardiology. its residency will be 5 years
instead of 7 years) but that depends on the hospital you will work in and the state (You must put in
mind that the actual parameter is true experience, not only having a certificate without actual practical
experience).
One other thing - for young students in final years and fresh graduates - try to enrich your CV as
possible, take beneficial courses like ALS, ECG, Ultrasound, etc...
Also, try attending conferences in your speciality, try to take courses in medical research for example,
try also to have other activities than medicine in normal life, that all indicate to your chef, that you are
hard-worker and will let you overcome other candidates when applying in same job.
Where to learn german language?
A: Theoritically, at any good institute or even a private teacher can do the job.
BUT: I prefer Goethe Institute / MODLI (Ministry of Defense Language Institute) / ADK Institute. I will
discuss advantages and disadvantages of each.
MODLI:
====
- Place: Kobry El-Kobba (main branch), but has other branches (i do not know exactly where, but you
can ask there).
- Number of courses available: only 8 courses (but that depends on how many participants, as this 8th
courses usually is cancelled due to few number of applicants)
- They have a specific system in this institute (that at least 5 or 6 students should be in the class in
order to worth it financially), otherwise, the level is cancelled, and this makes problems especially at
times of Universities exams, the number of participants are small, so many classes are closed, especially
higher level (beginning from 5 -8).
- The syllabus of MODLI depends on a series of Books named "Sprachkurs Deutsch", which is somehow
old book series (dating since 1982) but as you know the language does not change, it is a matter of
teaching.
Advantages of MODLI:
---------------------------
* Prices are cheap (320 LE for non-military/ 100 for Military families/ 70 for officers)
* Has a good collection of teachers
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* Courses are Condensed (you finish each course in 5 weeks / 2 times per week / 4 hours each)
* Good practice of hearing materials (there is specific labs for that).
* Average number of students in each class (between 10 - 15).
* Considered in the middle of Cairo, and reachable easy by Metro + 10 min. walking.
Disadvantages:
------------------
1- During the registration it is very very crowded, especially when the summer vaccation comes (Shoflak
Wasta!!).
2- Limited levels (only 8).
3- Intermittent stop intervals (as described before).
4- Does not give certificates (only when you finish all the 8 levels, and it is not accredited by Goethe
Institute).
5- Controlled through military rules: for example they open doors on specific time (e.g. 4:00 pm
exactly), not a minute before it, you not allowed to take food or drinks in classes..etc..!!.
6- Methods of teaching are somehow traditional (does not depend alot on interactivity between course
attendants).
Goethe Institute:
===========
- The only place which gives accredited certificates (accredited worldwide).
- It has 2 branches (one in Cairo in Dokki and the other one in Alexandria).
- The Book series teached are "Tangram Aktuell".
- Each 3 levels have 2 books.
- There are 3 types of courses as described before .
1- Normal Course --> 650 LE (only one level)
2- Intensive Course --> 1200 LE (two levels)
3- Intensive Quick Course --> 1600 LE (three levels)
- The 3rd modality is excellent for people who want to reach B2 level quickly.
- But put in mind that only levels from 1-9 can be taked 3 after 3, the B2 stage (3 levels must be taken
separately).
Advantages:
---------------
1- They have lots of classes in each level.
2- Classes are wider and more comfortable.
3- No intermittent stop intervals.
4- Materials are good (book + Training booklet + CD), also audio-visual materials are fair.
5- They perpare the attendants at the end of each stage (A1, A2,B1, B2) on an exam samples.
Disadvantages:
------------------
1- Prices is considered expensive / also books are expensive.
2- Far from many people (especially who live in Misr El-Gedida, Madinet Nasr, and other areas) (you will
spend nealy 1 and half hour going and the same when going back home.
3- There is large differentiation between teachers and some others are moderate.
Goethe Institute:
* A1-B1 Levels:
--> Normal Course: 650 LE
--> Quick Course (2 Levels in the same period): 1200 LE
--> Quick Intensive Course (3 Levels in the same period): 1600 LE
* B2 Levels (3 Levels):
--> Each Level : 880 LE (they must be taken separately).
What I have done myself is that I took the first 5 coures in MODLI then I made a level-determining
exam in Goethe Institute and i jumped directly to level 6 (skipped the first 5 levels in Goethe by the help
of MODLI), then i continued in the 2 institutes together (I reached level 7 in MODLI and B2.1 in Goethe).
ADK Institute:
========
Actually i do not have much information about it. But all I know that it is a partner of Goethe Institute
(people who take courses there can have certificates from Goethe Institute).
They teach from the same books, they have only normal courses (each course 560 LE).
It is in Nozha Street (Ard Elgolf).
--> So, my advice is:
------------------------
- If you can start with Goethe, it is the best and is considered the golden standard (take Intensive Quick
Courses)
- If you find it far from you, or expensive then take in MODLI or ADK (until you reach level 5 or 6 then
go and apply in Goethe for the rest of the courses)
- If all the above does not suite you, then find a good private teacher (preferably within a group), and
give him the curriculum of Goethe, then you apply only in exams in Goethe.
How to contact a hospital?
The main 2 websites is:
1- www.kliniken.de
it has all the hospitals in Germany, listed in an alphabitical order, or you can search by state (for
examples: hospitals in Berlin, Hamburg, etc...).
2- www.aerzteblatt.de
This websie contains only the advertisement of free jobs in Hospitals, you can find it in the tab "JOBS" in
the right corner, then you will choose the speciality, then you choose "Assistenzarzt" which means
"Resident" and you mark the 4 choices above the 2 tables, then click "Suchen" which means search.
- The first website is general and more useful, as you can find all the hospitals even who did not make
advertisment for a job, the other one is limited.
- When you find the website of the hospital, you search in the websie for the department you want,
Department means "Abteilung" and try to find the e-mail to contact the chef of the department or the
sekreteriat by sending a professional e-mail (ofcourse in German Language and including your translated
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