International Admissions at Koç University School of Medicine

Koç University’s School of Medicine aims to provide a high level of international education to a small number of outstanding and qualified domestic and international students according to the general principles of the university.

KUSOM admitted its first students in 2010 and admitted its first international students in 2015. Today, KUSOM  hosts  92 international students in total.

Each year a selected group of 30 international students are admitted to our MD program to join the other 30 domestic students who are placed through the Turkish national university entrance exam.

What makes the Koç University School of Medicine a good choice for international students?

• Starting from the first year, students are encouraged to participate in research studies in particular fields of biomedical sciences. The program is planned to enable the students to be autonomous and responsible individuals and provide the necessary time to participate in independent studies, discussions, and research projects in addition to their curriculum. They are encouraged to use the library and electronic resources freely. This provides an opportunity to have a choice at the end of their medical education to follow a clinical research oriented career path or a clinical one according to their interests and abilities. Students have access to leading research centers such as KUTTAM.
• Medicine students take the Core Curriculum in their first year, which allows them to understand complex scientific concepts that they will encounter in the following years of their medical education. This program contains subjects such as natural and social sciences as well as communication skills, civilization history and introduction to medical science , and also trains students to recognize and solve their problems as social and humanist individuals.
• Starting from the second year, students receive a systems-based medical training in an integrated program. In addition to major organ systems, special study emphasis is placed on cancer, neuroscience, and molecular medicine, which are the intensive research areas of modern medicine worldwide.
• The clinical training is offered at the flagship Koç University Hospital located in Topkapı. You can find more details about the clinical services, research infrastructure and overall hospital experience offered here.
• Opportunities for summer internships with different educational institutions are provided and supported in the first years of medical training.
• International students at Koç University are offered pre-arrival support and integration and other support services by a dedicated team in the Office of International Programs International Community Services Office.
• The domestic students are typically from the top 5% of the national university entrance exam and offer an intellectually vibrant classroom experience for our international students.
• Our School of Medicine faculty members are also carefully selected from the best universities worlwide and in Türkiye to teach our Medicine students and bring their extensive research and clinical experience to the classroom.
• International students graduate from an English medium program having also learnt Turkish to a C1 level which expands their opportunity to work as clinicians in Türkiye after graduation
• International students who wish to return to their countries after graduation do not encounter any diploma equivalency issues as Koç University is one of the leading universities in Türkiye
• International students who wish to continue their postgraduate medical education at top schools in the US or the UK are able to obtain excellent scores in the USMLE examinations and other international admission tests, thanks to the high quality education and clinical training received at Koç University School of Medicine

How is the MD program structured at Koç University?

The MD program has a duration of 6 years (12 semesters) and the medium of education is English. However, the bedside teaching from the 4th year onwards is in Turkish, so international students should acquire a C1 level of Turkish proficiency by then.

The first three years of medical education (pre-clinical years) are provided on the main campus in Rumelifeneri (Sariyer district). During this period, students are offered with lectures, courses and seminars on the history and development of Medicine, ethical concepts, fundamental principles, and treatments in modern medicine. They can also acquire communication skills, and familiarize themselves with public health problems, and explore the main challenges of managing health systems.

The last three years (clinical training) are provided at the Koç University Hospital located in Topkapi and include long-term internships in the major clinical branches, short-term internships in the fifth year, and a 12-month pre-graduate internship training.

You can find more details about the Medicine curriculum here.

How can I apply as an international student or external transfer student to study Medicine at Koç University?

External transfer or new international student applications are made via an online application during the specified application periods for the Fall semester admission. Applications are not received for Spring semester admission.

You can find detailed information below about the application process, required documents, online application form and deadlines:

International Student applications

External transfer student applications

In international students’ applications, one of the main criteria for initial evaluation is that the candidate should have ONE of the internationally accepted test scores or diploma grades.

High school transcripts cannot be determinant in terms of comparing academic success of the applicants who do not have such diplomas or scores. So, if you are not able to submit an application with ONE of the eligible test scores or diploma grades AND with a score above the minimum, we advise you to not apply as your application will be rejected.

Candidates who will apply with IB or GCSE diploma grades can apply with their predicted grades by including an official letter from their school stating their predicted grades. If offered admission it will be on a conditional admission basis. Upon receipt of the final grades that match exactly the predicted grades included in the application file, the candidate will earn the right to register as a student at the university. Please note, there are no exceptions made in case the final grades do not match the predicted grades.

External Transfer students should also submit ONE of the eligible test scores or diploma grades in addition to their university transcripts and syllabi.

Eligible test scores and diploma grades are as follows (for the full detailed list please check the link above):

MCAT: 504 (min 126 from each part of 4)

SAT I: 1450

ACT: 31

IB: 40

GCSE: 3 A-levels with A or A* grades in relevant subjects (Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics)

Koç University School of Medicine Scholarships for International Students

Full tuition scholarships are not provided to students who are admitted as external students or international students, only partial (25%, 50%) tuition scholarships are available on a very competitive basis for outstanding admitted students.

There are no specific test scores or grades required to be awarded a scholarship as the decision is made on a holistic manner, taking into account an applicants’ entire application file (motivation letter, reference letter, high school grades, extra-curricular activities or achievements, video interview AND test scores).

There are no separate forms or application periods for the partial scholarships. All applicants who are evaluated for admission are also evaluated for a scholarship at the same time. If offered admission, the candidate’s offer letter will state if any scholarship has been awarded or not. Scholarship decisions are not subject to re-evaluation so please do not contact the School of Medicine or other units at Koç University to request a reconsideration if you have not been awarded a partial scholarship.

The partial scholarships are for the duration of studies and do not include financial support for dormitories, meals, books or other expenses.

Get in touch

If you have further questions about how to apply please email study@ku.edu.tr and your query will be answered in 1-2 working days.

Please do not contact the School of Medicine regarding application enquiries as they will be forwarded to the International Admissions Team.

You can schedule a video chat or Whatsapp chat with our International Admissions team here

For more information about life as an international Student at Koç University visit https://international.ku.edu.tr/