Failing Medical School in Saudi Arabia? What to Do After Academic Warnings or Dismissal (2026)
02.10.2026
Short answer
Failing medical school in Saudi Arabia? Academic warnings or dismissal: what happens now and how a transfer abroad brings you back via the SMLE and the SCFHS.
Academic warnings
In short: Saudi universities work with a cumulative grade point average. A student whose average falls below the minimum in the university's study and examination regulations receives an academic warning. The commonly used rule is dismissal after three consecutive warnings.
Medical colleges with year-based programmes add their own rule: a year that is failed is repeated as a whole, and the number of repeats is limited. Read the regulations of your college, not only those of the university.
Dismissal and extra chance
In short: A student is also dismissed for not completing the programme within the maximum period, commonly one and a half times its normal length. The college council can recommend an additional chance to raise the average, and the university council can grant an exception. Neither is a right.
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Dismissed? Continue abroad and come back as a doctor
We transfer you to English-taught medical schools abroad. In a free consultation we check which of them credit your passed years and plan your route back to the Kingdom.
Book a free transfer consultationWhy students get stuck
In short: Medical students in Saudi Arabia who struggle rarely lack ability. The usual reasons are the switch to English as the language of instruction, the preparatory year, depression or anxiety, family obligations and a subject chosen because the grades allowed it.
None of this means you chose the wrong profession. I started dental medicine in Sofia in 2015, at 24, years after most of my classmates, and graduated in 2021. A slower start says nothing about the doctor you will become.
Transfer abroad
In short: A transfer from a Saudi college to an English-taught medical school abroad is possible, and Medschool Experts organises it. Because Saudi medical colleges teach in English, your transcript and course descriptions can be assessed directly. Which universities fit you, and which year you can enter, depends on your profile.
A study transfer is a complicated undertaking. Every university checks hours, content and syllabi in its own way, and the documents have to arrive in exactly the right form. Our experts have almost ten years of experience with study transfers, and we regularly achieve placements into higher years, at times Year 4 or Year 5.
Free transfer consultation
Transfer abroad, return to Saudi Arabia: check your options
Send us your transcript. We tell you which universities accept your years, where you can enter and how your route back to the Kingdom looks. Free and without obligation.
Check my transfer optionsReturning to Saudi Arabia
In short: Yes, you can come back. The Ministry of Education assesses the equivalence of your foreign degree. You complete the internship year, pass the Saudi Medical Licensing Exam, and the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties classifies and registers you.
- Equivalence: the Ministry looks at whether the university is recommended for Saudi students, whether you studied full time and on site, and whether the degree qualifies for practice in the country of study. Check the university before you enrol, ideally with the Ministry's approval for your studies in hand.
- Licensing exam: the same exam Saudi graduates take, and the score counts for residency matching.
- Documents: the Commission verifies degrees at source, so keep every original.
We choose your university with the Ministry's criteria in mind and tell you before you enrol what your return will look like.
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Plan your way back to the Kingdom from day one
Equivalence depends on the university you choose and on how you study there. We check both with you before you enrol.
Book a free transfer consultationCosts
In short: Tuition at European medical schools starts at about €3,500 a year, and living costs in many Central and Eastern European cities are €5,000 to €8,000 a year. That is well below the fees of a private medical college in the Kingdom.
How we help
Medschool Experts reviews your transcript in a free transfer consultation, finds medical schools among our more than 25 partner universities that fit your profile, prepares the application and the visa file, and plans your route back to Saudi Arabia. More than 500 students have been placed so far. The first step is always a free transfer consultation.
The author's view
When I began dental medicine in Sofia in 2015, I was 24, years older than most of my classmates. I graduated in 2021. A grade average is slow to repair, because every old mark stays in it. At a new university your average starts again, and the years you passed are credited as passed. For many students that is the real relief.
Summary
In Saudi Arabia consecutive academic warnings and the maximum study period lead to dismissal, and an extra chance is an exception. Another Saudi medical college rarely admits a dismissed student.
A transfer abroad is possible, and the return runs through equivalence, the licensing exam and classification. We plan that route home with you from the first day.
Conclusion
Get your transcript now, and book your free transfer consultation before you enrol anywhere.
Failing medical school in Saudi Arabia: 5 questions and answers
When am I dismissed?
After the number of consecutive academic warnings in your university's rules, commonly three, or when you exceed the maximum study period.
Is there an extra chance?
The college or university council can grant one on application. It is an exception.
Can I transfer to a medical school abroad?
Yes. Medschool Experts organises transfers to English-taught medical schools abroad. The year of entry depends on your profile.
Can I practise in Saudi Arabia with a degree from abroad?
Yes, with an equivalent degree, the internship, the Saudi Medical Licensing Exam and classification with the Commission.
Does the consultation cost anything?
No. It is free and without obligation.
What students say about Medschool Experts
Over 500 placements at 25+ partner universities across 10+ countries. See how our students experienced their path into medical school abroad in our student stories.
About the author
Marcel Kloos
Founder and owner of Medschool Experts, federally recognised dentist
Marcel Kloos is the founder and owner of Medschool Experts, a placement agency for medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pharmacy degrees abroad. Since 2021 the team has secured more than 500 study places at 25+ partner universities in Europe and worldwide.
Study medicine abroad: Marcel's own path
Born in Stuttgart, Marcel started his degree late: at 24 he enrolled at the Medical University of Sofia, Faculty of Dental Medicine, and graduated in 2021 from the English-language programme. He went through the same steps his clients face today — nostrification of school certificates, entrance interviews, finding a flat in Sofia and later the recognition of a foreign degree. He is a federally recognised dentist.
What Marcel does at Medschool Experts
Today Marcel lives in Bern and runs Medschool Experts full-time. He visits every partner university in person, negotiates placement agreements directly with faculties and deans, and leads the free consultations in which applicants learn at which university they can start next semester. His YouTube channel on studying medicine abroad has helped thousands of applicants compare universities, costs and recognition.
Topics Marcel writes about
- Study medicine abroad independent of your high school diploma grades: universities, costs and admission
- Study dentistry, veterinary medicine or pharmacy in Europe in English
- Tuition fees and living costs at medical schools in Europe and worldwide
- Recognition of foreign medical degrees in the EU, Switzerland, the UK and the US
- Transferring between medical schools and returning home into a higher semester
All articles by Marcel Kloos are based on first-hand visits to the universities and conversations with current students. Book a free consultation to discuss your own path.
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