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Why Study Medicine in Brazil?

Brazil has plenty of medical universities. There are more than 2300 higher educational institutions in the country that the MEC of Brazil recognises.

Foreign, exchange and international students prefer Brazil as a study abroad destination.

One primary reason for this is that many old, famous and prestigious universities of this country do not charge any tuition fees. To get into an excellent medical university in Brazil, you need to clear several entrance exams and language proficiency tests. But, it is all worth it once you are granted admission into a top medical university in Brazil.

About Brazil

This beautiful Nation covers nearly 50% of South America’s continent with the credit of being the largest country in the continent. Brazil borders every other country in South America except Ecuador and Chile.

Brazil extends 4331 kilometres in East-West and 4772 kilometres in North-South. It is home to approximately 200 million individuals and has a fast-growing economy. Do you know that nearly 25% of the rainforest across the globe are found in this Nation?

Best Medicine Universities in the country

Universidade de São Paulo Medical School

Universidade de São Paulo Medical School is the largest educational Organisation in the Nation and the most prestigious medicine University in Brazil. It has also managed to get a spot in the best 150 best universities in the world.

The University of Brazil was established in the year 1913. Currently, this university offers four bachelor degree courses, which include medicine as well. The medicine programme of the university underwent a revamp six years ago. The newly revised plan was designed with the suggestions of Portuguese, Canadian and American academicians.

Apart from treatment and teaching diagnosis, the new curriculum includes cultural, economic and social health determinants and newly devised healthcare approaches.

Federal University of São Paulo – Paulista School of Medicine

This university is located in Brazil’s southeast region and was a campus of health science until 2005. This medicine University has maintained its distinction as the best medicine University in Brazil. Do you know that the founding name of this medicine university was the Paulista School of medicine?

The thing that sets this university apart from the other medical universities in the Nation is its primary focus is on the sciences of biology – specifically on the life of human beings and their historical, cultural and social contexts.

This medicinal university curriculum has been divided into various modules that include internship from the fifth to the sixth year, Professional Courses from the third to the fourth year, and primary education from the first to second year.

A variety of facilities complements the unique curriculum of the this medicinal university of Brazil. This includes extensive libraries, research laboratories, amphitheatre classrooms.

Rotations of the clinic are conducted in the hospital of the university and secondary and primary care centres all through the area. Students always have the back of the university professors who are distinguished doctors and physicians in several medicine fields.

Federal University of Minas Gerais – School of Medicine

The University of Brazil is the largest and one of the oldest universities in Brazil. It was established in 1911 and produced approximately 320 graduates of medicine annually.

The Medical program of this university follows its primary target of moulding graduates into doctors who perform exceptionally well in several surgery and medicine fields in the future.

The curriculum of this University has been divided into four phases. The patient ambulatory is held from the seventh to the ninth semester, and the propaedeutic is held from the fifth to the sixth semester. The Pampulha campuses, where the basic and primary studies are held from the first to fourth semester.

The internship covers the last three semesters. Well-qualified professionals and doctors guide the foreign, exchange and international students. Immersions are typically conducted at Hospital Universitario Risoleta Tolentino Neves and the HC, i.e. Hospital das Clinicas. This is excluded from the 90 days devoted to the rural internships conducted in the countryside area.

The Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul – Faculty of Medical Sciences

This public institution is situated in the city of Porto Alegre. This university of medicine was established in 1934. It is one of the top-rated medicine universities in the country and is world-famous for its Medical Science facility, which is the 3rd oldest in Brazil. Currently, this university is situated in a clinical Hospital. This University offers two bachelor degree courses which include medicine and nutrition.

The Federal University of Santa Catarina – School of Health Sciences

This is the leading medical university of Brazil and is situated in the region of Southern Brazil. It was established in the year 1960 and can be termed as a young Educational Institute as it is ranked at the 10th position of the universities in the region of LA.

The medicinal program of the university comes under the school of Health Sciences. This university’s curriculum has its prime focus on student learning, where professors play an essential role in the complete education process.

Emphasis is laid on the clinical practice. The rotations are conducted at primary healthcare institutes such as the Florianopolis municipal health department system. Internships are covered in the last two years of the degree course, covering family health, gynaecology, obstetrics, surgery, paediatrics and medicine departments.

State University of Campinas School of Medical Sciences

This is the flagship department of Health Sciences and is based in the city of Sao Paulo. It was established in 1958, but it was transformed into a medicinal university in the year 1962.

It offers bachelor degree courses in medicine, speech therapy, pharmacy and nursing. This medical university’s main objective is to build physicians and doctors who can provide care not just to people but to serve the overall community. This university aims to build doctors who can apply ethics to measure the benefit and cost ratio of procedures and treatments.

Joint health, forensic medicine, epidemiology, bioethics, Pharmacology, trauma surgery, anaesthesiology and public health are some of the subjects taught here.

Universidade Federal de Pelotas Faculty of Medicine

This public Educational Institute was established in the year of 1969 and is situated in the city of Rio Grande do Sul. This campus consists of four campuses, which include –

  • Campus Porto
  • Campus Ciências Sociais
  • Campus Ciências da Saúde, and 
  • Campus Capão do Leão

 It also offers 23 PhD programs, 45 postgraduate programs and 94 bachelor degree courses. These programs are divided among twenty-two academic units of the university.

The most prominent department of this university is its medicine faculty that administers the BSC in medicine programme. It is also highly recommended for its International collaboration and Regional Research repo, among many indicators.

Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Faculty of Medicine

It is the most significant Federal medical university in the country and was established in the year of 1792. Its medicine faculty was founded in the year 1808 and is the oldest department of the university.

The basic curriculum of this medicine University e is controlled by the educational institute of Biology, Biomedical Sciences and microbiology. The professional internship phase is conducted in the Maternity School, Institute of Psychiatry, Martagão Gesteira, Institute of Childcare and Paediatrics, Hospital Universitario Clementino Fraga Filho, Institute of Chest Diseases, Collective Health Studies Center, and the Institute of Gynaecology.

Pontificia Universidade Catolica Do Rio Grande Do Sul School of Medicine

Marist Brothers founded this Catholic and private medical university in 1948. Currently, it has two campuses in Porto Alegre and Viamao. This university has been termed as the top privately owned and run medical university in the country. It has twenty-two units of Academy, which include the medical school as well.

The medical school was founded in the year of 1969 and offered a 6-year comprehensive medicine program.

The first two years cover the medical practice introduction, while the 3rd year covers academic research and pathology. The students are made aware of Paediatrics, women’s health, surgery, and medicine’s clinical activities during the last period. Such rotations are typically conducted at the PUCRS Sao Lucas Hospital and the Vila Fatima University extension centre.

Rio de Janeiro State University Faculty of Medical Sciences

The medical science Faculty of this university is widely recognised among the Nation, and it is the best medical school in the Nation. It was established in the year of 1935, and the Medical program of this university consists of three cycles.

The first cycle is known as the basis of the primary cycle, a three-semester course covering all the fundamentals of Medical Sciences. The second cycle is known as the clinical course, in which the students are exposed to advanced medical courses.

The last cycle of this Medical program is the internship programme, which exposes the students to emergency medicine, mental health, gynaecology and obstetrics, surgery, paediatrics and internal medicine.

How to get admission into a top medical university in Brazil?

The entrance exam of Brazil’s universities is known as the vestibular. It is conducted only a single time in a year, similarly to the SAT Exam or the ACT exam conducted in the United States of America. This test might take anywhere between 1 to 5 days to complete. It tests the aspirants in Portuguese, history, physics, biology, literature and mathematics.

It might not be wrong if I say that there is fierce competition between the aspirants taking this exam due to the limited open slots and free tuition fees of the Brazilian public universities.

On the other hand, if we talk about the aspirants wishing to take admission in a private university of Brazil – they can be granted admission with less perfect scores in the test because of the less competition as compared to the public universities due to the presence of a tuition fee in these universities.

These instructions need a high school translated transcript (Portuguese). Admission to a top medicine University of Brazil is granted through the education ministry’s selection system or FUVEST (University Foundation for the Vestibular).

International, foreign, and exchange students are required for demonstrating fluency in this language. 

Scholarships

The Nation has zero tuition fees in the public education sector up to masters level for international and domestic students for the majority of the programs. This certainly means that most public universities in Brazil will charge foreign, exchange and international students the registration fees.

The fees will be charged by the higher education institutions which are privately owned. This would largely depend on the degree course that you select and the educational institute itself. The tuition fees of private institutions can cost you anywhere between 7800 US dollars to 40200 US dollars.

You should know that mainly all the universities in the Nation provide financial aid for needy students as the government of Brazil grants for attending private universities and colleges.

Scholarships in the Nation

Brazil is the perfect choice for you if you want to study in a nation that offers a scholarship chance for studying abroad. Brazil government has a partnership with several independent Institutions and organisations that offer international, foreign and exchange students unique opportunities to pursue their postgraduate, PhD, masters, and undergraduate degree courses in any university of Brazil.

Currently Available Scholarships for exchange, international and international students in the Nation

We have curated a fine list of scholarships currently running for international foreign exchange students in the Nation.

  • 400+ OAS-GCUB SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, BRAZIL
  • PAEC OAS Scholarships in Brazil
  • TWAS-CNPq Postdoctoral Fellowship in Brazil
  • University of Sao Paulo Postdoctoral Fellowships in Brazil
  • ITS Fellowship Program for International Students in Brazil
  • UNICAMP, Postdoctoral Position in Biochemistry in Brazil

You should also check the requirements for the scholarship before making reservations and filling in the application forms.

Cost of Living

While Brazil’s living costs are lower than in other western nations, they can vary as per your requirements and where you choose to live. We will explore all the basics ranging from essentials to shopping. You should also know that this Nation can be expensive compared to the United Kingdom and the United States of America in manufactured goods.

However, most of the services are less expensive due to the low cost of labour. For some apparent reasons, Brazil’s largest cities, such as Brasilia, São Paul, and Rio de Janeiro, are the Nation’s expensive cities.

Accommodation in the Nation

Accommodations, specifically rentals, are the most significant expense in the Nation. The average rental for a furnished accommodation of 274 square metres will cost anywhere between 528 US dollar to 852 US dollar in specific areas per month. This depends on location and township.

The accommodation cost is usually higher in cities such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. However, it is required that this is considered the expense of daily communication from rural and backward areas effectively.

Tuition Fees

The tuition fees per year range anywhere between 2000 US dollars to 10,000 US dollars.

Internet

The number of connections to the internet in the Nation is growing at a rapid rate. There were approximately 38 million household subscriptions at the beginning of 2018. This is a mass increase of 14 million users in only six years.

This is an outcome of PNBL, which is a government plan for improvising the Nation’s data infrastructure. This service is made available to approximately 60 per cent of the overall population, and it will cost you 113 BRL monthly for the internet subscription service.

Wages

The Brazilian government has set a minimum wage adjusted annually—the minimum wage adjusted by each government in the state. However, the federal minimum wage must be as per the minimum wage set by the national government.

Currently, the Nation’s minimum wage is at 245 US dollars per month, and it was set in the year 2017. The state of Sao Paulo offers the Nation’s highest wages with thousands of US dollars monthly. This is in accordance if you get to work in a firm that is natively based in Brazil.

Student Jobs

Suppose you wish to study abroad in Brazil. In that case, you should ensure checking with the college or university if your selected program allows you to work in the Nation or come with industry experience.

Suppose a trainee or a foreign, exchange or international student comes to the Nation under a program of training attachment. In that case, they should be in the work holiday programme to legitimise their job and have an employment pass of training or a permit of the training work.

You should know that to work in this Nation without having a pass for work is a criminal and punishable offence.

A disadvantage of studying abroad in Brazil is that the medical universities here don’t allow working in any work available like other nations. The colleges and universities in Brazil have specific internships that are relatable to the degree course a student is planning for pursuing. Therefore a person studying in Brazil can opt only for search-related internships.

Due to this, the students typically work for 2 to 3 months to apply their skills. Many students are provided with a full-time job by the organisation, and the internship is completed with a considerable success rate. The organisation’s job is applicable only after a particular student graduate from his degree course successfully.

Part-Time Jobs in Brazil

Many universities and colleges in Brazil are in partnership with Industrial and Corporation houses that help provide the students with work on a part-time basis. The most popular types of part-time career and job opportunities in Brazil for students are –

  • Operators for data entry – This might be the most suited job opportunity for you if you are blessed with good and fast typing skills.
  • Restaurant waiter – This job typically labour-intensive, and all you get is the minimum or basic pay.
  • You can also be recruited as an apprentice to a well-known chef if you have good cooking skills.
  • You can get a chance for working as a language interpreter or translator for assignments if you are well equipped with a foreign or international language such as Russian, French, Spanish, German or English.

Lastly, you should always try your luck with the college or university you have chosen for checking if any other opportunities for chances are available for you.

I know that it can be pretty mundane arranging or auditing the magazines and books at a library or typing the full names of students who enrolled in your college or university in a particular year.

My last and final advice for you in this segment will be to always apply for an employment pass if you get recruited for a full-time career or job opportunity and then freely work in the Nation.

Accommodation

Coming to study abroad in Brazil is a highly complex process as you have to think about the safe neighbourhoods, which person to trust, and the ultimate question: where are you going to stay?

One of the best tips that I want to give you at the beginning of the segment is that you should always plan beforehand and never book your accommodation at the very last minute. You should also know that dormitories or campus accommodations aren’t the usual things Indian medicinal universities of Brazil when we talk about student housing.

Both International and Brazilian students typically reside in Repûblicas, which are rental apartments situated near the campus premises.

Residing with other International individuals helps a student to get comfortable in a social network. A student must have the ability to fully integrate into Brazil’s culture and immersive experience differences between cultures.

Mostly sharing an apartment will help you to cut your costs at an exponential rate. If you reside in a big city, then the cost of accommodation will be higher. It will cost you approximately 1600 BRL to rent an apartment monthly.

Rental apartments can be difficult because if a person wants to search for an apartment, then reference from past owners is typically required.

Accommodation Facts in Brazil

  • Medicinal colleges and Universities in the Nation don’t typically provide accommodation to foreign, exchange and international students, unlike other Nations. Mostly foreign, exchange, and international students reside in accommodations that are privately owned.
  • You can contact your college or university’s international office before providing you with suggestions and recommendations on where you can stay.
  • You can book a hostel room for the 1st month of your degree course. This is because it is easier for finding accommodations once an individual is present in the Nation.
  • Most Universities and colleges also aid their foreign, exchange and international students in organising homestays. This is where Foreign, Exchange or international students can reside peacefully with a native for the host family.
  • This country has high costs of accommodations as compared to the other nations of South America. You might know that you have to pay a higher or considerable amount if your living standard is higher.

Conclusion

One of the primary reasons for studying in Brazil is its affordable education. While private educational institutions have fewer tuition fees than other nations worldwide, public education institutes are free for Brazilians.

Another reason for studying abroad in Brazil is its status as an emerging nation worldwide, therefore, joining China and India. Brazil is also an active international pursuit. The last reason is that Brazil doesn’t only Excel at the soccer game, but the Nation’s higher education is also quickly rising.

Amit Kumar

FreeEducator.com blog is managed by Amit Kumar. He and his team come from the Oxford, Stanford and Harvard. At FreeEducator, we strive to create the best admission platform so that international students can go to the best universities - regardless of financial circumstances. By applying with us, international students get unlimited support and unbiased advice to secure the best college offers overseas.

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