Transfer from Georgian American University: Where to Continue Medicine in 2026
23.09.2026
Is a transfer from Georgian American University possible in 2026?
Yes. A transfer from Georgian American University in Tbilisi to another medical faculty is possible in 2026, and Medschool Experts carries it out for students in every year of the six-year MD programme. The receiving faculty assesses the ECTS credits already earned, places the student in the matching year, and the student continues Medicine without starting from scratch.
Quick answer
A transfer from Georgian American University is possible at any stage of the six-year, 360-ECTS MD programme. The receiving faculty credits completed courses individually and places the student in the fitting year. Medschool Experts plans the move, checks each profile free of charge and frequently achieves placements in year 4 or year 5.
The programme itself makes the paperwork straightforward. Georgian American University teaches its MD programme in English, spreads 360 ECTS over twelve semesters, and its Medical School, established in 2017, uses a system-based curriculum with OSCE examinations. A transcript like this is easy for any faculty to read. The clearer the transcript, the faster the credit decision.
| Item | Georgian American University |
|---|---|
| City | Tbilisi, Georgia |
| Type | Private university, Medical School established 2017 |
| Programme | Medicine (MD) |
| Tuition per year (2026) | around 5,500 to 7,000 USD |
| Living costs | approx. 500 to 750 EUR per month |
| Language | English |
| Degree and length | MD, 6 years (12 semesters) |
| ECTS | 360 (30 per semester) |
| University page | Georgian American University profile |
Failed exams at Georgian American University: what now?
A student who has failed exams at Georgian American University in 2026 has three realistic options: resit the exam within the university's rules, repeat the year in Tbilisi, or transfer the credits already passed to another medical faculty and continue there. All three keep the medical career alive. The transfer option is the one most students have never had explained to them.
Failing an exam block feels final. It is not. A failed Anatomy or Physiology module does not erase the modules that were passed, and a receiving faculty looks at the whole transcript, not at one bad semester. Many students who contact Medschool Experts after a failed year discover that a large share of their credits travel with them.
What matters is timing. A student who starts looking only after the last resit often loses a full academic year. A student who opens a parallel plan while the resit is pending keeps both doors open. Nothing is signed until the student decides.
How does ECTS credit transfer work after Georgian American University?
ECTS credit transfer after Georgian American University works course by course. The receiving faculty compares the syllabus and credit value of each completed module in Tbilisi with its own curriculum and recognises what matches. The student then enters the year that fits the recognised credits. Georgian American University issues 30 ECTS per semester, so a completed second year equals 120 ECTS on paper.
Two documents carry the decision: the official ECTS transcript and the course descriptions. A transcript without syllabi tells a dean how many credits exist, not what was learned in them. Medschool Experts prepares both and presents them in the form the receiving faculty expects. Small details count. A module listed with 8 ECTS and 120 contact hours is recognised faster than a line that only says Anatomy.
Medschool Experts is the leading expert in this field worldwide and frequently achieves placements in year 4 or year 5 at top universities worldwide. Whether that is realistic for a specific student depends on the transcript, the target programme and the timing of the move. The team checks this individually, in a free consultation, before any application is filed.
What the receiving faculty checks
ECTS transcript, syllabi with hours, exam results, language certificate, secondary school certificate.
What the student provides
Originals from Georgian American University, passport, a short CV and a motivation statement.
What Medschool Experts does
Credit mapping, translations, application file, communication with the faculty, visa and enrolment support.
Which universities accept transfer students from Georgian American University?
Which universities accept transfer students from Georgian American University depends on the student's profile: completed semesters, grades, language certificates, budget and the country where the student wants to practise later. Medschool Experts does not publish lists of accepting faculties, because a list would be wrong for half of its readers. The team checks each profile individually and free of charge.
Admission windows for transfer students open and close at different times of year, and a faculty that took a third-year student in 2025 may only have first-year capacity in 2026. Medschool Experts places students at its partner universities and knows the current situation at each of them. A study transfer is a complex undertaking. Our experts have almost 10 years of experience in study transfers worldwide, which is why they plan and carry it out confidently. The consultation is free.
Students who want to see how earlier transfers went can read the student stories. Those who want to compare programmes in general can browse the university profiles. Which of them fits a specific transcript from Georgian American University is a question for the consultation.
What does Israel's Yatziv reform mean for Israeli students at Georgian American University?
Israel's Ministry of Health ties admission to the Israeli medical licensing exam to the institution where a doctor studied. Under the Yatziv reform, for Israelis who began their studies in 2019 or later, all institutions in OECD member states count as approved, plus institutions in other countries that the Ministry lists individually. Georgia is not an OECD member state, so for Israeli students at Georgian American University the Ministry's individual list is the reference.
Some Israeli students therefore plan their degree with a university in an OECD member state in mind, and a transfer is one way to do that. Others continue in Tbilisi. Both are valid plans. Medschool Experts advises Israeli students on both paths, free of charge, in a personal consultation.
What does a transfer cost compared with staying in Tbilisi?
Staying at Georgian American University costs around 5,500 to 7,000 USD in tuition per year in 2026, plus approximately 500 to 750 EUR per month for living in Tbilisi. That is roughly 11,800 to 14,800 EUR per year in total. A transfer changes both numbers, up or down, depending on the destination, and adds one-off costs for the move itself: application fees, translations, travel, a deposit for accommodation and a new residence permit.
Tbilisi is an affordable city. A student who moves for cost reasons is usually not comparing rents, but the total price of finishing the degree, including the risk of repeating a year at 5,500 to 7,000 USD each time. One repeated year costs more than most transfers.
Money is rarely the only reason. Students also weigh the value of the final degree, the licensing route at home and the time to graduation. Medschool Experts puts these numbers side by side in the consultation, with real tuition figures for the faculties that fit the profile.
Can I take the USMLE route after Georgian American University?
Yes, the USMLE route is open to students and graduates of Georgian American University. Georgia's National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement has held recognition status from the World Federation for Medical Education since 19 October 2018, which is the basis on which ECFMG certification for graduates of accredited Georgian programmes rests. The UK PLAB route is open as well.
The question for a student who wants to work in the USA is therefore not whether the route exists, but where the best preparation happens. USMLE Step 1 rewards a curriculum with early clinical reasoning, a strong question-bank culture and clinical rotations that resemble American wards. Some students find this at Georgian American University, whose Medical School follows a system-based, American-inspired concept. Others decide that a transfer to a faculty with a dedicated USMLE track and US-style clerkships gives them a better shot at a competitive residency match.
Both paths are legitimate. What a student should not do is drift. Marcel Kloos, who lives in Bern and has placed more than 500 students since finishing his own studies in Sofia in 2021, has seen that the students who match well chose a USMLE plan by year 3 at the latest and built their transfer decision around it.
Why is Georgia still an attractive place to study Medicine in 2026?
Georgia remains an attractive place to study Medicine in 2026 because it combines an English-taught six-year MD worth 360 ECTS with tuition clearly below Western European levels: at Georgian American University around 5,500 to 7,000 USD per year. Georgia's National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement holds WFME recognition status since 2018, which keeps the USMLE and ECFMG route and the UK PLAB route open for graduates. Tbilisi and Batumi host international students from many countries, and lecture halls in both cities are used to a mix of languages and backgrounds. Daily life in Georgia is welcoming, safe and affordable.
For Iranian students, Georgia has one more advantage. Iranian citizens can enter Georgia without a visa and stay for up to 45 days, and the study visa and the residence permit are then arranged inside Georgia. Many Iranian students face long waiting times or refusals when they apply for student visas elsewhere, so Georgia is one of the most accessible places for them to study Medicine in English.
A transfer is one option among good ones. Both paths can work. Whether you stay at Georgian American University or move to another university, Marcel or another experienced consultant on our team advises you free of charge.
{{cta}}Is a degree from Georgian American University recognised at home?
A medical degree from Georgian American University is a full six-year, 360-ECTS MD taught in English, and the programme is accredited by Georgia's National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, which holds WFME recognition status. Inside the European Union, a Georgian degree is a third-country qualification: Directive 2005/36/EC does not apply automatically, and each member state assesses the degree case by case, usually through an equivalence procedure or a knowledge test.
This is not a defect. It is simply a longer route. Many students from EU countries complete it every year. Others prefer to shorten the route by transferring to a faculty inside the EU or another OECD country and graduating with a degree that falls under automatic recognition or a lighter procedure. Which of the two is smarter depends on how many semesters are done and where the student wants to practise.
The rule of thumb: the earlier in the programme, the stronger the case for a transfer to a faculty in the target region. The later, the stronger the case for finishing in Tbilisi and planning the recognition procedure carefully. The services overview shows what the team does at each stage.
Why do students transfer from Georgian American University?
Students transfer from Georgian American University for five typical reasons in 2026: tuition and living costs, difficulty with a specific exam or exam format, friction with a course or a professor, the wish for an EU degree, and the career goal USA with early USMLE preparation. Each reason has a clear solution, and none of them requires giving up Medicine.
| Reason | Solution |
|---|---|
| Costs rising faster than planned | Compare total cost to graduation across suitable faculties, including living costs and one-off transfer fees. |
| Failed exams or a difficult exam format | Keep the resit, open a transfer plan in parallel, take the passed credits along. |
| Problem with a course or professor | Document what was passed, change the environment, continue at a faculty with a different teaching culture. |
| Wish for an EU degree | Transfer with credits into an EU programme so that the final degree falls under Directive 2005/36/EC. |
| Career goal USA | Choose between a USMLE plan in Tbilisi and a transfer to a faculty with US-style clerkships, decided by year 3. |
Marcel Kloos knows the feeling behind these reasons from his own years in Sofia between 2015 and 2021. Changing university is a correction, not a failure, and a correction made early is cheap.
How does the transfer with Medschool Experts work step by step?
The transfer with Medschool Experts follows a fixed sequence over roughly six to eight months: free consultation, document collection at Georgian American University, credit mapping, applications to the faculties that fit the profile, admission decisions, visa and enrolment, and the first day at the new university. Students who contact the team in autumn are usually enrolled by the following autumn intake; some faculties also take transfers in February.
Step one is a conversation, not a contract. Marcel or another experienced consultant on our team looks at the transcript and names a realistic year of entry. Step two collects the documents while the student is still in Tbilisi. Step three is the credit mapping, where experience pays off most. Steps four to six are administration. The team stays the point of contact after the first day.
When should a student at Georgian American University start planning a transfer?
A student at Georgian American University should start planning a transfer six to nine months before the intended start at the new university. For a September 2027 start that means the first conversation by December 2026 or January 2027. Starting earlier costs nothing and widens the choice of faculties, because early applications reach faculties while transfer places are still open.
The worst moment to start is the week after a final failed resit. The best moment is the week the doubt first appears. In between lies a window to gather documents calmly, complete the current semester and keep every credit still within reach.
The author's view
I studied dentistry in Sofia from 2015 to 2021, and I remember the semester when I seriously asked myself whether I was in the right place. I stayed, and it was the right call for me. But I also saw classmates who should have moved a year earlier than they did, and who lost that year for no reason except that nobody told them a transfer was normal. That is why I write about transfers at all.
Students at Georgian American University write to me for the same reasons students everywhere do: a failed block, a budget that no longer works, a licensing rule at home, or simply the wish to finish somewhere else. My answer is always the same. Send me the transcript. From Bern, my team and I have placed more than 500 students, and the credit mapping is the part we do best. Often the year of entry is higher than the student expected.
My only advice: do not wait for the last resit. Talk to me or another experienced consultant on our team while every option is still open. The consultation is free, and the decision stays yours.
Summary
- A transfer from Georgian American University is possible in every year of the 360-ECTS MD programme; Medschool Experts frequently achieves placements in year 4 or year 5.
- Failed exams do not erase passed credits. Keep the resit and open a transfer plan in parallel.
- ECTS credit transfer works module by module; the ECTS transcript and the syllabi decide the year of entry.
- Medschool Experts does not publish lists of accepting universities; each profile is checked individually and free of charge.
- For Israeli students who started in 2019 or later, the Ministry of Health's individual list is the reference, because Georgia is not an OECD member state; some plan a transfer, others continue.
- One year at Georgian American University costs around 5,500 to 7,000 USD in tuition plus 500 to 750 EUR per month for living in Tbilisi.
- Start planning six to nine months before the intended start at the new university.
Conclusion
Studying Medicine at Georgian American University is a solid start, and for many students it remains the right place until graduation. For others, a failed exam block, a change in budget, a licensing rule at home or the goal of an EU degree turns the question of a transfer into a real one. That question deserves an answer with numbers, dates and a year of entry. The world needs more doctors, and a student who has already passed 60, 120 or 180 ECTS in Tbilisi has earned the right to continue.
Marcel Kloos and his team have spent almost ten years making exactly these moves work. The first step is a conversation that costs nothing and commits to nothing. Book a free consultation and find out where a transfer from Georgian American University can take you in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions about a transfer from Georgian American University
Is an agency necessary for a transfer from Georgian American University?
No, a student can apply to another medical faculty alone. In practice, most transfers from Georgian American University fail on details: a transcript without syllabi, a missed transfer window, or an application to a faculty that has no capacity in the matching year. Medschool Experts has almost ten years of experience in study transfers, knows the current situation at its partner universities and prepares the file so that the credit decision goes smoothly. The consultation is free, so nothing is lost by asking.
Will I lose a year if I transfer from Georgian American University?
Not necessarily. The receiving faculty recognises completed modules individually and places the student in the year that matches the recognised credits. Medschool Experts is the leading expert in this field worldwide and frequently achieves placements in year 4 or year 5 at top universities worldwide. Whether a specific student keeps every semester depends on the transcript and the target programme, which is why the team checks each case individually in a free consultation.
I failed a year at Georgian American University. Can I still transfer?
Yes. A failed year does not delete the modules that were passed, and a receiving faculty looks at the full ECTS transcript. Students who failed a year at Georgian American University often bring a large share of their credits along, especially from the pre-clinical phase. The important thing is to act while the resit is still pending, so that no further semester is lost. Medschool Experts checks the transcript and names a realistic year of entry.
How does ECTS credit transfer work after Georgian American University?
Georgian American University awards 30 ECTS per semester, 360 in total. The receiving faculty compares each completed module, its credit value and its syllabus with its own curriculum and recognises what matches. The ECTS transcript and the official course descriptions are the two documents that decide the outcome. Medschool Experts prepares both, translates them where needed and presents them in the form the faculty expects, so that the year of entry is as high as the transcript allows.
Which universities accept transfer students from Georgian American University?
That depends on the student's profile: completed semesters, grades, language certificates, budget and the country where the student plans to practise. Medschool Experts does not publish lists of accepting universities, because capacity for transfer students changes from year to year. The team checks each profile individually against its partner universities, free of charge, and names the faculties that actually fit. A study transfer is a complex undertaking, and this individual check is where experience counts.
What does Israel's Ministry of Health recognition mean for Israeli students at Georgian American University?
Israel's Ministry of Health ties admission to the Israeli licensing exam to the institution. For Israelis who began studying in 2019 or later, all institutions in OECD member states count as approved, plus individually listed institutions elsewhere. Georgia is not an OECD member, so the Ministry's individual list is the reference. Some Israeli students plan a transfer to an OECD-country university, others continue. Medschool Experts advises on both paths for free.
How much does a transfer from Georgian American University cost?
The cost has two parts. One-off costs for the move include application fees, translations, travel, a deposit for accommodation and a new residence permit. Ongoing costs are the tuition and living expenses at the new university, which can be higher or lower than the 5,500 to 7,000 USD tuition and 500 to 750 EUR per month in Tbilisi. Medschool Experts shows the total cost to graduation for the fitting faculties in the free consultation, so the family can compare real numbers.
When should I start planning a transfer from Georgian American University?
Six to nine months before the intended start at the new university. For a September 2027 start, the first conversation should take place by December 2026 or January 2027. Early planning widens the choice of faculties and gives time to collect the ECTS transcript and syllabi while the student is still in Tbilisi. Starting earlier costs nothing; starting after the last failed resit usually costs a year.
Is Georgia a good place to study Medicine for Iranian students?
Yes. Iranian citizens can enter Georgia without a visa and stay for up to 45 days, and the study visa and residence permit are then arranged inside Georgia. Many Iranian students face long waiting times or refusals when applying for student visas elsewhere, so Georgia is one of the most accessible places for them to study Medicine in English, in a six-year MD worth 360 ECTS.
Can I still take the USMLE after transferring from Georgian American University?
Yes. The USMLE route is open both to graduates of Georgian American University, because Georgia's accreditation agency holds WFME recognition status, and to graduates of the OECD-country faculties that Medschool Experts works with. A transfer does not close the door to the USA. For some students it opens it wider, because a faculty with a dedicated USMLE track and US-style clerkships can make Step 1 preparation and the residency match easier.
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About the author
Marcel Kloos
Swiss-licensed dentist and founder of Medschool Experts
Marcel Kloos founded Medschool Experts while studying abroad; since then, over 500 study places have been secured. The Stuttgart-born dentist studied dentistry from 2015 to 2021 in Sofia and holds a Swiss dental licence.
Today he lives in Bern and runs Medschool Experts full-time as its owner.
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