Faculty of Medicine, Saarland University (Homburg)

About the Faculty

Homburg is a special case among German medical faculties: you study medicine not in the state capital but on a dedicated campus approximately 30 kilometres east of Saarbrücken. Preclinical institutes, clinical departments, and the University Hospital of Saarland (UKS) all sit directly alongside one another, which makes for very short distances. Students who want a larger city commute; those who value a self-contained campus and predictable timetabling have an advantage here.

The UKS is the largest hospital in Saarland and provides maximum-level care for the entire region. This means a broad patient spectrum without the competition between several large hospitals for the same cases that can dilute exposure at multi-hospital locations. Homburg suits students who rate a compact campus, short distances, and an affordable city above a large-city environment.

Admission

Places are allocated nationally via hochschulstart. The university’s own selection procedure in Homburg is threefold: in one sub-quota the Abitur grade dominates; in a second, weight shifts to the aptitude test; in a third, recognised service and completed vocational training score particularly strongly. Applicants who clearly excel in one of these profiles stand a better chance here than in a uniform single-criterion procedure. In the additional aptitude quota, the Abitur grade plays no role; the test result carries all the weight. No tuition fees are charged; only the semester contribution is payable.

Standard Curriculum on a Forest Campus

Homburg teaches the standard curriculum (Regelstudiengang) without a model programme. Four preclinical semesters lead to the First Section of the Medical Examination; the clinical semesters follow, then the Practical Year. Admission is exclusively in the winter semester; cohorts are modest in size by national comparison.

The most distinctive feature is the concentration on a single site. Faculty, institutes, and the UKS share a forested campus of more than 300 hectares south of Homburg, with more than one hundred clinical buildings within walking distance of each other. Students consistently praise the resulting short distances between the dissection room, lecture hall, and ward, and the relatively direct contact with teaching staff. Common criticisms include the large number of mandatory events and the condition of some older buildings and facilities.

Practical Year and Graduation

Before the Practical Year comes the Second Section of the Medical Examination. PJ tertials are available at the UKS itself and at affiliated teaching hospitals in the Saarland — including the Klinikum Saarbrücken, Caritas-Klinik St. Theresia in Saarbrücken, Diakonie Klinikum Neunkirchen, Knappschaftskrankenhaus Püttlingen, and the Klinikum Merzig. The border location also brings hospitals in Luxembourg into range. After the Third Section of the Medical Examination, graduates receive the Staatsexamen and apply for German Approbation.

A Faculty Town, Not a University Town

Homburg has approximately 43,000 inhabitants and is the third-largest city in the Saarland. The main campus of Saarland University is in Saarbrücken; in Homburg, medicine and dentistry dominate. This shapes daily life noticeably: you study in a small town in a strongly medical environment rather than within a broad campus culture spanning law, humanities, and sciences. A shuttle bus runs between both locations.

Student accommodation is affordable; several halls of residence are directly on campus alongside the cafeteria and library. To be honest, nightlife is limited: a handful of bars, little culture, and restricted shopping. For more, the train to Saarbrücken or Kaiserslautern — both well connected — is the answer. In return, the Palatine Forest and the Schlossberg caves are practically on the doorstep.

Student life concentrates on the campus: cafeteria, student union, study groups, and university sports. Because virtually everyone around you is studying medicine or dentistry, cohorts bond quickly. Homburg lies on the motorway and rail line between Saarbrücken and Kaiserslautern; France and Luxembourg are close. Weekend trips home are straightforward from the south-west; from northern Germany they take considerably longer.

Do I study in Saarbrücken or in Homburg?

In Homburg. The Faculty of Medicine of Saarland University, together with the University Hospital, sits on the campus south of the city, approximately 30 kilometres from the main Saarbrücken campus. A shuttle bus connects both locations, but your day-to-day study life takes place almost entirely in Homburg.

Is Homburg a model curriculum?

No. Teaching follows the classical standard curriculum, with a preclinical phase, Physikum after four semesters, clinical phase, and Practical Year. Students looking for a fully integrated model structure as in Hamburg or Hanover will find better options at other sites.

What is supervision like?

The campus is compact and the faculty small, so students often describe the atmosphere as close-knit and teaching staff as accessible. The downside: many mandatory events and, in some areas, ageing buildings and equipment. Both are part of an honest picture of this location.

What is life in Homburg really like?

Quiet. The city is small, social and shopping options are limited, but accommodation is cheap and everything is within walking distance. Students who need a larger city commute to Saarbrücken or Kaiserslautern. Students who value calm, nature, and short distances are well placed here.

Where can I do my Famulatur and Practical Year?

At the UKS itself and at affiliated teaching hospitals in the region, including sites in Saarbrücken, Neunkirchen, Püttlingen, and Merzig. The border location also brings hospitals in Luxembourg into play, offering international exposure without long travel. Quotas and deadlines are managed by the study office.