TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich

About the Faculty

The Faculty of Medicine of the TUM was established by the Free State of Bavaria in 1967, making the Klinikum rechts der Isar its university hospital. Today the faculty operates as the TUM School of Medicine and Health, part of a technically oriented university, and this is reflected in its profile: translational research, medical technology, and the connection between basic science and patient care define its emphasis. Alongside the Staatsexamen programme there are Master’s programmes in Radiation Biology and Biomedical Neuroscience and a doctoral programme in Medical Life Science and Technology. Approximately 1,692 students are enrolled in human medicine, with around 304 completing the programme each year.

The Klinikum rechts der Isar is centrally located and treats more than 56,000 inpatients annually at maximum-care level across 1,161 beds and more than 30 clinics and departments. The TUM is funded under the Excellence Strategy as an Excellence University. This faculty suits students with an interest in the technical-scientific approach to medicine who want to study in a manageable cohort on a compact campus. Students who prefer a fixed allocation to a single university from the start should note that the assignment in Munich is only finalised after the First Section of the Medical Examination.

Admission

Places are allocated nationally via hochschulstart, across the Abitur best quota, the additional aptitude quota, and the university’s own selection procedure. In both selection quotas, the TUM combines the Abitur grade with subject-specific aptitude criteria including the TMS result. Because the preclinical phase is organised jointly with LMU, applicants apply for Munich as a study location; the definitive assignment to LMU or TUM occurs only at the transition to the second study phase.

No tuition fees are charged. The semester contribution is payable; living costs in Munich are significantly above the national average, particularly for accommodation.

Preclinical Phase at LMU, Clinical Phase at TUM

The TUM School of Medicine and Health is a special case among German faculties: the preclinical phase is delivered jointly by TUM and LMU and takes place predominantly at the LMU. Only after the First Section of the Medical Examination do students move fully into TUM’s clinical phase, which is taught primarily at the Klinikum rechts der Isar.

Research-Oriented, Technology-Affine Curriculum

The curriculum introduced in winter semester 2011/12 organises the clinical phase around several strands: Clinical Pathophysiology and Systematic Disease Teaching connect basic science knowledge with organ systems; in the third clinical year, case-based Clinical Management is structured around leading symptoms. Practical skills are built up in stages, from examination courses through bedside teaching and block placements to simulation training in the Medical Training Center. A dedicated communication curriculum using simulation patients runs throughout all clinical years. Students interested in general practice and rural medicine can apply from the fifth semester for the BeLa (Beste Landpartie Allgemeinmedizin) project, which cooperates with hospitals and GP practices in Dillingen an der Donau, Eichstätt/Kösching, and Mühldorf am Inn.

Practical Year and Graduation

The Practical Year is completed at the university hospital and at more than 20 affiliated teaching hospitals in Munich and southern Bavaria, supported by a portfolio of entrustable professional activities. After the Third Section of the Medical Examination, graduates apply for Approbation at the state examination office.

Clinical Campus in the City Centre

The clinical day-to-day life is centred on the Klinikum rechts der Isar in Haidhausen, directly at Max-Weber-Platz and well served by U-Bahn and S-Bahn. During the first two years, students commute to the preclinical sites of the LMU in the city centre and south-west Munich. Two universities, several campuses: travel is part of studying in Munich.

Munich has Germany’s most expensive housing market, and Haidhausen is one of the most sought-after districts. Student halls of the Studierendenwerk serve both LMU and TUM and are heavily oversubscribed; flat-share rooms go quickly. Many students live further out along S-Bahn lines and accept commuting times. In return: a faculty with a strong research profile, short distances to institutes and clinics, clinical sector jobs, and a city where the Isar, the English Garden, and the mountains are a normal part of the weekend.

Why do I study the preclinical phase at LMU if I am enrolled at TUM?

The preclinical phase is organised in Munich as a joint offering of TUM and LMU and takes place predominantly at the LMU — a historical arrangement that applies to all Munich medical students. From the clinical phase onwards you are fully at your own faculty.

What makes the TUM curriculum distinctive?

The clinical phase is strongly oriented towards connecting basic science and clinical medicine, through Clinical Pathophysiology, Systematic Disease Teaching, and case-based Clinical Management. Simulation training in the Medical Training Center and a continuous communication curriculum with simulation patients complement this. The faculty’s profile is distinctly research- and technology-oriented.

What is the BeLa programme?

BeLa stands for Beste Landpartie Allgemeinmedizin — a model project for students interested in general practice and rural healthcare. Entry is possible from the fifth semester, with cooperating hospitals and GP practices in Dillingen an der Donau, Eichstätt/Kösching, and Mühldorf am Inn. Alongside placements and block attachments, mentoring and regional projects are included.

Where can I do my Practical Year?

The PJ runs at the Klinikum rechts der Isar and at more than 20 affiliated teaching hospitals in Munich and southern Bavaria. Work on the wards is structured and documented through a portfolio of entrustable professional activities, followed by the Third Section of the Medical Examination.

How do I apply?

Human medicine at the TUM is admission-restricted and allocated centrally via hochschulstart, with Abitur best quota, additional aptitude quota, and the university’s own selection procedure; subject-specific aptitude tests play a role in the university’s own quotas. Medschool Experts advises on NC-free routes into medical studies and does not handle applications to German state faculties.