University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)

The Medical Faculty of the University of Hamburg has been teaching at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in the model curriculum iMED since 2012. The structure follows thematic modules rather than individual subjects, scientific work runs as a dedicated strand throughout the entire program, and a second subject allows for deeper specialization in one area. The UKE is concentrated on a closed campus in the north of Hamburg and has 1,502 beds; there are 355 places per cohort.

The distinctive feature lies in admission. Hamburg does not use the TMS but its own HAM-Nat, a test in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics at school level — what is being assessed is subject knowledge rather than pure reasoning ability. From spring 2027, the nationwide TMSnat will be introduced, intended to merge and replace both TMS and HAM-Nat. This location suits you if you want to qualify through scientific knowledge and are looking for a large, research-strong hospital in a major city.

Allocation runs nationwide via hochschulstart.de: 30 percent of places through the top-grades quota, 10 percent through the additional aptitude quota without using school grades, and 60 percent through the university's own selection process. In both university-run procedures, Hamburg relies on the HAM-Nat rather than the TMS; in the additional aptitude quota, the test result carries the largest weight, while in the university selection process it is combined with the school-leaving grade. From spring 2027 the TMSnat will be introduced; how long older test results remain valid is decided by each faculty individually.

No tuition fees apply. The only payment is the University of Hamburg's semester contribution, which is set each semester.

iMED Instead of the Standard Curriculum

At the UKE you study in the integrated model curriculum iMED, launched in 2012. Instead of the classic division between preclinical and clinical years, there are 19 compulsory modules arranged in seven module groups and three progressive stages: first, the normal function of health and disease; then the path from symptom to diagnosis; and finally differential diagnosis and differential therapy. Basic science and clinical content run alongside each other from the outset.

Second Subject, Examinations, and Study Paper

A Hamburg distinctive is the accompanying second subject in Scientific Work. Over the first nine semesters you specialize in a research field — for example neuroscience, cardiovascular, oncology, inflammation, or health services research — and write a study paper on it in the tenth semester. Assessment is module by module; in seven compulsory modules, structured practical examinations in OSCE format are added, and after the third semester there is an intermediate examination. You do not sit the written First Section of the Medical Licensing Examination: the first eleven passed module examinations replace it.

Practical Year and Degree

After the Second Section follows the Praktisches Jahr at the UKE or at one of the many teaching hospitals in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and the surrounding northern region, including Asklepios hospitals, denominational clinics, and the Bundeswehr Hospital Hamburg. The program concludes with the Third Section of the Medical Licensing Examination. You then apply for German Approbation without any recognition process in between.

A Compact Campus in Eppendorf

The UKE is located in the Eppendorf district, bounded by Martinistraße, Frickestraße, and Geschwister-Scholl-Straße. Since 2009, the New Clinic at the center of the grounds has consolidated most of the patient care, with institutes and lecture halls within walking distance around it. For you this means short distances within a hospital of more than 1,800 beds, situated in an established residential neighborhood rather than on the outskirts.

Housing in an Expensive City

The downside is the housing market. Eppendorf and the adjacent neighborhoods are among the most expensive parts of Hamburg, and the overall market is tight. Student services dormitory places are in high demand; many students move to cheaper districts or to the surrounding area and accept commute times by S-Bahn and U-Bahn. Anyone with an offer should start looking for accommodation very early.

City and Connections

In return you get a major city with everything that entails, and a dense public transport network. The UKE is connected by several bus routes and the Eppendorf rapid transit stations; the Alster and the city center are close. The main station and the airport make traveling home uncomplicated.

What does iMED mean?

iMED is the integrated model curriculum in medicine at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, launched in 2012. It abandons the strict division between preclinical and clinical phases and organizes the content into compulsory modules that build on each other in a learning spiral from normal function through symptom to differential therapy. Practical training begins early, not after two years of theory.

Is there a Physikum at the UKE?

Not in the classic form. The written part of the First Section of the Medical Licensing Examination is replaced by the first eleven passed module examinations. Instead, assessment is continuous: every compulsory module ends with its own examination, in seven of them additionally practical in OSCE format, and after the third semester there is an intermediate examination.

How does admission work?

Via hochschulstart, though Hamburg has long used its own instruments in its selection process: the science aptitude test HAM-Nat and structured selection interviews in the HAM-Int format. The school-leaving grade alone does not decide. The UKE publishes details and dates each year; applications through hochschulstart are handled by the applicant directly.

What is the second subject about?

Alongside the compulsory curriculum, over the first nine semesters you take the second subject Scientific Work and specialize in a research field. In the tenth semester you write a study paper on it. This is compulsory and does not replace a doctoral thesis, but it considerably eases entry into research.

How realistic is it to find housing in Hamburg?

Manageable, but demanding. Eppendorf is expensive, the Hamburg market is tight overall, and dormitory places are sought after. Many students live in cheaper districts or in the surrounding area and commute by S-Bahn and U-Bahn, which works well thanks to the public transport network.