Medical universities in Turkey: how to study medicine in Turkey in English

Medical universities in Turkey offer a six-year MD program, and a growing number teach it in English. For international applicants there are two routes: private (foundation) universities with English-taught medicine and published fees, and a small number of places at competitive state universities. Most of the private programs sit between about $24,000 and $40,000 a year on current price lists.

Two issues matter more than the fee. First, "English-taught" does not always mean English with patients: at least one major program moves clinical training into Turkish from year four. Second, your degree has to work at home. The medical councils of India, Pakistan and Nigeria each set their own conditions, and none of them has confirmed recognition of any specific Turkish program.

Below: verified programs, costs, admission for the next intake and what to check before paying a deposit. For the wider picture, see our Study in Turkey guide.

Medical universities in Turkey for international students

English-taught medicine at universities that publish fees for international students. TEPDAD is Turkey's medical-education accreditor; its status matters for US and Pakistani licensing. Fees are annual list prices, without discounts.

Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa is a separate university, not a faculty of Istanbul University. Medipol's International School of Medicine does not appear on the current price list for international students. Altınbaş admitted Turkish applicants to medicine in Turkish in the last intake, so ask the university whether the English track will run for your intake. METU, a state university, has no medical faculty.

MBBS in Turkey: total cost

Turkish universities award a six-year MD (Doctor of Medicine), not a degree called MBBS. On current price lists, English-taught medicine at private universities costs roughly $24,000–40,000 a year. Medicine taught in Turkish is cheaper: about $18,000–23,000 a year at Üsküdar and İstinye.

Over six years, tuition alone at current prices adds up to roughly $144,000–240,000 at mainstream private universities. Prices are reviewed every year, and next year's fees are published closer to the intake. İstinye, for example, states that its prices apply to the current academic year only.

State universities cost less but take few international students. Hacettepe charges $12,000 a year for medicine. Istanbul University sets 476,100 TL a year, about $10,000 depending on the exchange rate.

Costs to add to the tuition fee

• English preparatory year, if you do not pass the exemption test: $17,000 at Medipol, $6,000 at Başkent, $5,500 at Acıbadem. At Altınbaş and Istanbul University the prep year costs the same as a year of the program.
• Living costs in Istanbul: about $700–1,300 a month, depending on whether you share or rent alone.
• Discounts exist but are specific to each university. Medipol gives 10% for paying the year in one sum and a 15% country scholarship to citizens of Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Egypt and Bangladesh (not GCC countries). Altınbaş lists lower totals for payment in two installments ($22,500) or in one sum ($21,250).

Language: English lectures, Turkish clinics

Admission requirements for medicine

Private universities admit mainly on school results and do not require TR-YÖS, the exam for foreign applicants. State universities rely on exams and set much higher thresholds. The details are on our admission requirements page.

What medical programs ask for

• Medipol: at least 60% in the school certificate for Pakistan, India, Nigeria (WAEC) and GCC countries. If you submit SAT, the minimum is 1000; the ACT minimum for medicine is 22.
• BAU: 83 places a year for international medical students and about 1,500 applications, according to the university. Selection uses grades and a motivation letter.
• Istanbul University: national school certificates are not accepted. You need SAT 1440, ACT 32.33, IB 36.33 or TR-YÖS 300 (out of 500) as a minimum.

A minimum score does not guarantee a place. Altınbaş gives priority to applicants with a TR-YÖS result. The exam usually runs in April and October, and results stay valid for two years.

Hacettepe works with no agencies, so you apply yourself; we help prepare documents and check the application before you submit.

Accreditation and licensing at home

A Turkish MD lets you practice at home only if your national council accepts it. Check this with the council before you apply, not after graduation.

TEPDAD and the US. TEPDAD is recognized by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) until July 2033. Since 2024, ECFMG certification, which you need for US residency, is linked to graduating from a school accredited by a WFME-recognized agency. In Turkey that means TEPDAD. Altınbaş, Üsküdar, Nişantaşı, İstanbul Gelişim and Atılım have no medical program on the TEPDAD list.

Pakistan: PM&DC conditions for studying abroad (from the 2024-25 session)

• F.Sc. (Pre-Medical) of at least 60% and MDCAT of at least 50% for school graduates from Pakistan.
• The university must appear in the list maintained by ECFMG.
• PM&DC Student Registration Certificate before you leave (free, at srf.pmdc.pk).

We have not found a PM&DC list of recognized Turkish universities. Given the ECFMG condition, choose a TEPDAD-accredited program.

India: NMC FMGL Regulations 2021. Permanent registration requires a course of at least 54 months with a 12-month internship at the same foreign university. The degree must be taught in English. You must also be eligible for a license in the country of study "at par" with its citizens, complete a 12-month supervised internship in India and pass the NMC exit test. The whole course must be in one university in one country and finished within 10 years.

This raises three open questions. Clinical years at several "English" programs are partly or fully in Turkish. The Turkish internship sits inside the six years, not on top. And a foreign graduate may practice in Turkey only in private facilities, after diploma recognition, with Turkish at B level or higher, a work permit and within Ministry of Health planning. Whether NMC treats this as a license "at par" is unconfirmed. NMC compatibility of Turkish programs is not confirmed, so before applying, get a written answer from the university on each FMGL point.

Nigeria: MDCN. To sit the assessment exam for foreign graduates, your school must be listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools. You must also prove the right to practice in the country of study, with a valid license and a Certificate of Good Standing from the regulator, not the university. The fee was ₦190,000 for Nigerian citizens and ₦300,000 for non-Nigerians.

UAE. The unified requirements of April 2025 ask general practitioners for a medical degree of at least five years, one year of internship and, for foreign-trained doctors, two years of clinical experience after internship. For Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt, check with the regulator directly.

What to know before you apply

• Six years of fees: budget for the full course plus a possible prep year. Prices are revised yearly.
• Turkish is part of the degree: plan for C1-level clinical Turkish at some programs, even when lectures are in English.
• Recognition first: confirm TEPDAD status and your council's conditions before paying.

Studying dentistry in Turkey (and pharmacy)

Dentistry in Turkey takes five years, plus a prep year if needed. English-taught dentistry at private universities costs about $22,000–36,000 a year, from Üsküdar to Medipol. At Altınbaş dentistry is 30% English and 70% Turkish, so you must prove both languages. State places are tiny: Istanbul University offered 2 in English dentistry for international students in the last intake, at 309,465 TL a year.

Pharmacy also takes five years. In English it costs $18,000 at Medipol and $15,000 at BAU, and $12,000 at Altınbaş (older price list). Istanbul University charges 238,050 TL a year. Hacettepe charges $8,000 a year for dentistry and pharmacy.

At a free consultation we shortlist medical programs that fit your budget and grades, check your country's recognition rules before you apply, and prepare your documents. Contact us on WhatsApp, Telegram or through the form.