Transfer from Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy: Where to Continue Medicine in 2026

Is a transfer from Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy possible in 2026?

Yes. A transfer from Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy to a university in Europe is possible in 2026 for students who have completed at least one semester with passed, documented modules. The academy issues a transcript of records with ECTS values, and the receiving university decides which credits it accepts and in which year the student continues. Medschool Experts organises the entire process.

The faculty itself is a good starting point. Founded in 1992, Tbilisi Medical Academy teaches a one-tier MD programme, is authorised by Georgia's National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, and that agency has held WFME recognition status since 19 October 2018. The USMLE route via ECFMG and the UK PLAB route stay open to its graduates. Inside the EU, a Georgian degree is a third-country qualification assessed case by case, because Directive 2005/36/EC does not apply automatically.

Failed exams at Tbilisi Medical Academy: what now?

Students who failed exams at Tbilisi Medical Academy in 2026 have three realistic routes: a resit in the next session, repeating the year, or a transfer to another university with recognition of the modules already passed. Which route fits depends on how many subjects are open, how the academic year is structured and how much time and tuition the student is willing to invest again.

The first reaction is usually shock. That is normal. Failing a block in physiology says little about whether someone will become a good doctor.

A resit is the fastest fix when one or two subjects are open. Repeating a year is the most expensive route: another 7,000 US dollars in tuition plus twelve months of living costs, for material the student has largely seen before. A transfer sits between the two. The passed modules travel with the student, the failed subject is taken again in a new setting, and the year of study is decided by the receiving faculty after a credit evaluation.

Does a failed year close the door to a transfer? No. Receiving universities look at what was passed, not at what was missed. A transcript with 90 passed ECTS and one open subject is a strong file. Send it to us, and Marcel or another experienced consultant on our team reviews it in a free consultation.

Why do students consider a transfer from Tbilisi Medical Academy?

Students consider a transfer from Tbilisi Medical Academy for five recurring reasons in 2026: cost, a specific exam that will not pass, a difficult relationship with a course or a professor, the wish for an EU degree, and the career goal USA. Each reason has a solution, and the solution is rarely to drop out of medicine.

Costs. Tuition of 7,000 US dollars plus 500 to 750 euros a month is affordable, but a family budget can change. The solution is a cost comparison per receiving university.

One exam. Some students pass everything except one subject. A fresh curriculum and a different examiner often resolve what felt like a wall.

A course or a professor. Personal friction happens at every faculty in the world. No receiving university holds it against a student.

EU degree. A degree from an EU member state falls under Directive 2005/36/EC and is recognised automatically across the Union. A Georgian degree is assessed case by case.

USMLE. The ECFMG route is open from Georgia. Some students still prefer a faculty with a stronger USMLE preparation culture.

Whatever the reason: the world needs more doctors, and a transfer is a change of address, not a change of vocation. Our services page describes what we take off your plate.

How does ECTS credit transfer work after Tbilisi Medical Academy?

ECTS credit transfer after Tbilisi Medical Academy works in three steps: the academy issues a transcript of records and course descriptions, the receiving university compares content and hours module by module, and it then issues a recognition decision that places the student in a specific year. The 360-ECTS structure of the Georgian MD makes this comparison straightforward, because European medical faculties use the same currency.

Three documents decide the outcome. The transcript shows what was passed and with which grade. The course description shows how many hours were spent on anatomy, histology or pharmacology. The certificate of enrolment proves good standing. Certified translations are added where required.

Is there a fixed rule for how much is recognised? No. Every receiving university evaluates individually, and the result depends on curriculum overlap. Medschool Experts is the leading expert in this field worldwide and frequently achieves placements in year 4 or year 5 at top universities worldwide. Preparing the syllabus file is part of our work, not the student's.

Which universities accept transfer students from Tbilisi Medical Academy?

Which universities accept transfer students from Tbilisi Medical Academy depends on the individual profile: the year of study, the number of passed ECTS, grades, language certificates and the semester in which the student wants to start. Medschool Experts checks every case individually against its partner universities in Europe and does not publish lists of accepting faculties, because a list would be wrong for most readers.

A first-year student with 45 ECTS and a fourth-year student with 210 ECTS need different faculties, intake dates and budgets. We review the transcript first and only then name the two or three universities that fit. 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. You can browse the general university overview, but the transfer shortlist comes out of the consultation.

What does Israel's Yatziv reform mean for Israeli students at Tbilisi Medical Academy?

Under the Yatziv reform, Israel's Ministry of Health ties admission to the Israeli medical licensing exam to the institution where a doctor studied. 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 Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy the Ministry's individual list is the reference.

Some Israeli students therefore plan their degree with a university in an OECD country in mind, and a transfer is one way to do that. Others continue their MD in Tbilisi. Both paths are common. Medschool Experts advises Israeli students on either path, and the consultation is free of charge.

Students from India: recognition rules to check

Indian students at Tbilisi Medical Academy register with the National Medical Commission after graduation via the Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations 2021. Those regulations expect a course of at least 54 months in English, a twelve-month internship, and completion of the entire course and internship at the same institution in one country before the screening exam (FMGE, later NExT). An Indian student planning a transfer therefore checks with the National Medical Commission how a mid-course change affects eligibility before any application is filed. We raise this point in the first consultation.

Why is Georgia still an attractive place to study Medicine in 2026?

Georgia remains an attractive place to study Medicine in 2026. Universities such as Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy teach a six-year MD with 360 ECTS in English, and tuition of 7,000 US dollars a year sits clearly below what medical faculties in Western Europe charge. Georgia's National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement has held WFME recognition status since 2018, which keeps the USMLE route via ECFMG and the UK PLAB route open to graduates. Tbilisi and Batumi host international students from many countries, and lecture halls reflect that mix. Georgia is a welcoming, safe and affordable place to live, with living costs of around 500 to 750 euros a month.

For Iranian students the case is especially strong. 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 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. The choice is yours. Whether you stay at Tbilisi Medical Academy or move to another university, Marcel or another experienced consultant on our team advises you free of charge.

What does a transfer cost compared with staying in Tbilisi?

A year at Tbilisi Medical Academy costs about 12,400 to 15,400 euros in 2026: tuition of 7,000 US dollars (around 6,400 euros) plus living costs of 500 to 750 euros a month. The cost of a transfer consists of the tuition and living costs at the receiving university, which vary by country and city, plus one-off items such as certified translations, apostilles, travel and a housing deposit. The consultation with Medschool Experts is free.

Two figures are worth separating: the recurring cost until graduation and the one-off cost of the move itself. We list both in a personal cost sheet.

The comparison sometimes favours Tbilisi. Some receiving universities charge more per year than the academy, others a similar amount with lower living costs. A student who repeats a year in Tbilisi, however, pays a full extra year, and that is the figure a transfer is measured against. Marcel Kloos knows such budgets from his own six years in Sofia between 2015 and 2021.

Can I use Tbilisi Medical Academy as a springboard to the USA and the USMLE?

Students at Tbilisi Medical Academy can pursue the USMLE route in 2026 because Georgia's accrediting agency holds WFME recognition status, which is the basis for ECFMG certification. A transfer to a university in Europe with a strong USMLE preparation culture, US clinical electives and research output can strengthen that route, but it is a strategic choice, not a requirement.

What does a US residency programme look at? USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK scores, letters of recommendation, US clinical experience and research. A faculty where the curriculum follows the USMLE content outline and Step 1 is taken after year 2 or 3 makes preparation easier. The credit evaluation works as for any other transfer. What changes is the shortlist, which we build around USMLE support, US elective agreements and Step 1 timing.

Will my degree be recognised at home after a transfer from Tbilisi to Europe?

After a transfer from Tbilisi Medical Academy to a university in an EU member state, the student graduates with a degree from that state, and recognition follows the rules of the country where the degree is issued and the country where the doctor wants to work. Inside the EU, Directive 2005/36/EC provides automatic recognition of medical qualifications between member states. Outside the EU, the home-country regulator applies its own procedure, and a degree from an OECD member state simplifies matters for Israeli students in particular.

Recognition planning starts before the transfer. Marcel Kloos holds a Bulgarian dentistry degree from 2021 and practises as a federally recognised dentist in Bern, so he knows the recognition file from the inside, and that experience shapes how we plan every student's route.

How does the transfer with Medschool Experts work step by step?

The transfer from Tbilisi Medical Academy with Medschool Experts follows five steps over about eight months: free consultation and transcript review, document collection in Tbilisi, credit evaluation and application, admission decision with year placement, and finally residence permit, housing and the first day of the semester. Medschool Experts coordinates every step and remains the contact after the move.

Month 1: you send your transcript and describe your goal, and we name the universities that fit. Months 1 to 2: you request the official transcript, course descriptions and a certificate of enrolment from the academy; we arrange certified translations. Months 2 to 4: the receiving university evaluates the credits and we submit the application. Months 4 to 6: admission decision, year placement, enrolment. Months 6 to 8: residence permit, housing, travel. Faster is possible when documents are ready.

Two things the timeline does not show. The student keeps studying in Tbilisi during the process, so no semester is wasted. And the process is confidential: requesting a transcript is a routine administrative act.

When is the best time to start planning a transfer from Tbilisi Medical Academy?

The best time to start planning a transfer from Tbilisi Medical Academy is four to eight months before the intended start at the new university, which for an autumn semester means the winter or spring of the same year. Students who fail an exam in the winter session and want to move by September should start in February or March. Students who want a February start begin in the previous summer.

Earlier is easier. Transcripts take time, translations take time, and intake windows close. Yet late is not impossible when documents are complete and the receiving faculty has capacity. The difference is stress, not feasibility.

The consultation itself has no ideal moment. Students book it in year 1 to keep an option open, in year 3 after a difficult exam session, or in year 5 because a career goal changed. It is free and ends with a written assessment. Read how others did it on our student stories page, then book at /contact.