u/These-Response7716

Hi everyone,
I’ve been admitted to Utrecht University and will be starting a bachelor related to chemistry/medicine this year.
I saw that the Reserved Housing applications open on May 6 at 10:00 a.m., so I’m trying to understand what to expect before then.
I had a few questions for people who have gone through this:
What types of housing are usually available? (studios, private rooms, shared rooms?)
What kind of prices should I realistically expect for each option?
Are studios even realistic to get, or mostly rooms?
Where are most of the accommodations located — mainly around Utrecht Science Park, or also in other parts of Utrecht?
I’m an international student, so I’m trying to figure out what’s realistic and how fast I need to act.
Any advice or experiences would really help 🙏
Thanks!

Hi!
I was wondering if anyone here studies medicine in the Netherlands, specifically at Utrecht University.
What is the average age of first-year medical students there? Are most people around 18–19 straight out of high school, or is it more common to see people who are a bit older (like 20–22+)?
I’d really appreciate any insight, especially from people studying at Utrecht or in the Netherlands in general 🙏

Hi everyone,

I recently got accepted into Medicine at Utrecht University and I’m currently looking into moving there and arranging housing.

I also want to work alongside my studies, so I wanted to ask people who are already studying medicine in Utrecht (or similar programs in the Netherlands):

\- How many hours per week is it realistically possible to work while studying medicine?
\- What kind of jobs do students usually do?
\- Roughly how much can you earn per month net (a realistic range)?

For context, I have a Dutch passport and Dutch is basically my native language, so working shouldn’t be an issue in terms of language or permits.

I’m trying to understand what’s actually manageable alongside the workload of medicine, especially during the bachelor years.

Any advice or personal experiences would really help 🙏

Hi everyone,

I recently got accepted into Medicine at Utrecht University and I’m currently looking into moving there and arranging housing.

I also want to work alongside my studies, so I wanted to ask people who are already studying medicine in Utrecht (or similar programs in the Netherlands):

\- How many hours per week is it realistically possible to work while studying medicine?
\- What kind of jobs do students usually do?
\- Roughly how much can you earn per month net (a realistic range)?

For context, I have a Dutch passport and Dutch is basically my native language, so working shouldn’t be an issue in terms of language or permits.

I’m trying to understand what’s actually manageable alongside the workload of medicine, especially during the bachelor years.

Any advice or personal experiences would really help 🙏

Hi everyone,

I recently got accepted into Medicine at Utrecht University and I’m currently looking into moving there and arranging housing.

I also want to work alongside my studies, so I wanted to ask people who are already studying medicine in Utrecht (or similar programs in the Netherlands):

\- How many hours per week is it realistically possible to work while studying medicine?
\- What kind of jobs do students usually do?
\- Roughly how much can you earn per month net (a realistic range)?

For context, I have a Dutch passport and Dutch is basically my native language, so working shouldn’t be an issue in terms of language or permits.

I’m trying to understand what’s actually manageable alongside the workload of medicine, especially during the bachelor years.

Any advice or personal experiences would really help 🙏

Zdravo svima,

student sam 2. godine medicine na Medicinskom fakultetu u Beogradu (engleski smer) i volela bih da čujem iskreno mišljenje ljudi koji studiraju ili su studirali ovde.

Malo o meni: odrasla sam u Holandiji i živela tamo do svoje 15. godine. Moji su iz Srbije, ali pre dolaska u Beograd nikad nisam učila na srpskom, pa sam ovde krenula u internacionalnu školu. Engleski mi tada takođe nije bio savršen, ali sad je okej. Trenutno sam na engleskom smeru jer mi srpski još uvek nije dovoljno dobar da pratim nastavu na srpskom.

Iskreno, prilično sam nezadovoljna kvalitetom nastave i organizacijom na engleskom smeru. Često deluje haotično, a pogotovo tokom blokade je organizacija bila bukvalno nula. Koliko sam čula od kolega, na srpskom smeru je dosta bolje.

U međuvremenu sam polagala prijemni za medicinu u Utrechtu (Holandija) i primljena sam. Problem je što bih morala da krenem od prve godine, što znači da bih izgubila ove dve godine koje sam već završila ovde.

Otvorena sam da radim praktično bilo gde u budućnosti, ali bih verovatno ciljala EU jer imam i holandski pasoš. Ne mora to nužno da bude Holandija — skroz su mi okej i Nemačka, Austrija, Španija itd. Za Srbiju nisam sigurna da li bih ostala dugoročno, jer koliko sam čula specijalizacije se često ne plaćaju i dosta stvari ide preko veza.

Prosek mi je oko 7.8, tako da nisam neki top student, ali nisam ni loša. Dugoročno, volela bih možda za 15–20 godina da se vratim u Beograd i otvorim nešto privatno.

Zanima me:
- Šta biste vi uradili na mom mestu – ostali ili otišli u Utrecht i krenuli ispočetka?
- Koliko je realno završiti ovde pa posle otići u EU na specijalizaciju?
- Da li mislite da je razlika između engleskog i srpskog smera stvarno toliko velika?
- Da li se “gubitak” dve godine dugoročno isplati?

Svako iskustvo ili savet bi mi stvarno značio 🙏

Hi everyone,
I’m trying to get a better overview of medical schools across Europe and would really appreciate some honest insights from students or doctors.
I’m particularly interested in understanding:
Which universities in Europe/EU are considered the most reputable for medicine?
Are there certain countries whose degrees are generally more “valued” or make it easier to move/work across the EU?
Which medical schools tend to open the most doors after graduation (e.g. for residency, research, or working abroad)?
I’m also curious about how much the university itself vs the country/system matters in Europe. For example:
Does going to a “top” university actually make a difference for residency chances?
Or is it more about experience, language, and networking?
For context: I’m currently studying medicine in Serbia but considering switching or moving within the EU, so I’m trying to understand what would be the smartest long-term choice.
Any experiences or honest opinions would really help 🙏
Thanks in advance!

Ćao svima,
trebao bi mi neki realan savet od ljudi koji su prošli kroz ovo ili znaju nekoga ko jeste.
Živela sam u inostranstvu do nekih 15 godina, onda sam se vratila u Beograd i ovde završila srednju školu, pa sam posle upisala Medicinski fakultet Univerziteta u Beogradu.
Sad već razmišljam unapred i prilično sam sigurna da bih volela da specijalizaciju radim negde u inostranstvu, najviše zbog uslova, plate i generalno boljih šansi.
Zanima me:
Gde ljudi sa Medicinskog fakulteta u Beogradu najčešće odlaze posle diplome?
Da li je Nemačka stvarno najčešća opcija?
Konkretno za Nemačku:
Kakva je procedura u praksi (priznavanje diplome, jezik, papiri itd.)?
Koliko otprilike traje ceo proces do prvog posla?
Da li se stvarno relativno brzo nalazi mesto ili ipak ima čekanja?
I još jedno bitno pitanje:
Kakve su šanse za specijalizaciju kao što je pedijatrija? Da li je teško upasti ili je izvodljivo?
Čula sam razne priče da ljudi prilično brzo odu i krenu da rade, ali nisam sigurna koliko je to realno u praksi.
Svako iskustvo ili savet bi mi značio 🙏
Hvala unapred!

Hallo zusammen,
ich hätte eine Frage zur Anerkennung eines Medizinstudiums aus einem Nicht-EU-Land und zu den Chancen auf eine Facharztausbildung in Deutschland.
Ich studiere derzeit Medizin an der Medizinischen Fakultät der Universität Belgrad (Serbien) und würde gerne wissen:
Wie schwierig ist es in der Praxis, einen solchen Abschluss in Deutschland anerkennen zu lassen?
Wie läuft der Prozess ab (Approbation, Kenntnisprüfung etc.) und wie lange dauert das ungefähr?
Außerdem interessiert mich:
Wie schwierig ist es, mit einem solchen Abschluss einen Platz in der Facharztausbildung zu bekommen, z.B. in Pädiatrie?
Ist es realistisch, relativ schnell eine Stelle zu finden, oder gibt es Wartezeiten?
Spielt es eine große Rolle, dass der Abschluss aus einem Nicht-EU-Land kommt?
Ich habe gehört, dass viele Absolventen aus Belgrad relativ schnell in Deutschland anfangen können, bin mir aber nicht sicher, wie realistisch das wirklich ist.
Ich würde mich sehr über ehrliche Erfahrungen oder Einschätzungen freuen!
Vielen Dank im Voraus 🙏

Hi everyone,
I recently got accepted into medical school at Utrecht University 🎉 I have a Dutch passport, but I currently live abroad, so I’m trying to figure out housing from a distance.
I’ve been looking into Canvas accommodation, and I wanted to ask people who have experience with it:
Is Canvas actually good / worth it?
Do people generally recommend it?
I’m also a bit confused about huurtoeslag:
If I get a studio via Canvas, can I apply for huurtoeslag through the Belastingdienst?
Is it realistic to find a studio around €920–€930 max per month (so I could qualify for huurtoeslag)?
I noticed there seems to be more availability in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, but I barely see anything in Utrecht right now.
Does anyone know when most studios get released, especially in Utrecht (and Amsterdam)?
For context:
I also applied for Room.nl, but I’m basically at the bottom of the list, so I don’t see that working out.
Any advice or experiences would really help 🙏 even honest/harsh ones.
Thanks so much!

Hi everyone,
I’m currently facing a dilemma and would really appreciate some honest input from (former) medical students in Utrecht or people familiar with the system.
Right now, I’m studying medicine abroad (in Serbia, at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade). If I stay, I would likely graduate around 25. However, if I switch to Utrecht, I would start again at 21, which means losing a few years.
What I’m trying to understand realistically:
1. Waiting time (Bachelor → Master)
How long is the waiting time in practice?
Is it usually a few months or closer to a year?
What do students typically do during that period?
Does this waiting time count within the 8-year limit to complete the degree?
2. Residency / specialization in the Netherlands
How difficult is it to get into a residency (AIOS position)?
How long does it usually take after graduation?
Is it common to first work as an ANIOS, and if so, for how long?
3. Finishing in Serbia vs moving abroad (Germany / Netherlands)
I’ve heard from multiple people that after graduating in Belgrade, it is relatively “easy” to enter residency in Germany.
Is this actually true in practice?
How is a Serbian medical degree viewed in Germany?
Would it be faster overall to finish in Belgrade and then move to Germany for residency?
And compared to that:
How difficult is it to specialize in the Netherlands with a Serbian degree?
Would it be significantly harder than in Germany?
In your opinion, is it safer to study in the Netherlands if the goal is to specialize there?
I’m trying to make a well-informed decision between staying where I am or starting over in the Netherlands, so any honest advice or experiences would really help.
Thank you in advance 🙏

Hi everyone,
I recently got accepted into medical school at Utrecht University 🎉 I have a Dutch passport, but I currently live abroad, so I’m trying to figure out housing from a distance.
I’ve been looking into Canvas accommodation, and I wanted to ask people who have experience with it:
Is Canvas actually good / worth it?
Do people generally recommend it?
I’m also a bit confused about huurtoeslag:
If I get a studio via Canvas, can I apply for huurtoeslag through the Belastingdienst?
Is it realistic to find a studio around €920–€930 max per month (so I could qualify for huurtoeslag)?
I noticed there seems to be more availability in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, but I barely see anything in Utrecht right now.
Does anyone know when most studios get released, especially in Utrecht (and Amsterdam)?
For context:
I also applied for Room.nl, but I’m basically at the bottom of the list, so I don’t see that working out.
Any advice or experiences would really help 🙏 even honest/harsh ones.
Thanks so much!

Hi everyone,

I recently got accepted into medical school at Utrecht University, and I’m honestly really unsure what to do.

For some context: I basically grew up in the Netherlands, Dutch is my native language, and I have a Dutch passport. However, I’m currently in year 2 of medical school in Belgrade (Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade), so I’ve already started my degree elsewhere.

Now I’m stuck between two options:

Continue and finish my medical degree in Belgrade

Start over and study medicine in the Netherlands (Utrecht)

Honestly, I don’t have everything fully figured out yet. While the Netherlands is an important option for me, I don’t necessarily have to stay there long-term. I’m also open to working in other EU countries like Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, or France. So I’m trying to make a decision that keeps as many doors open as possible, but I’m just not sure what the best move is.

I’d really appreciate your advice:

What would you recommend in my situation?

Is it better long-term (career-wise) to have a Dutch medical degree vs. a foreign one within the EU?

How difficult is it realistically to get into a specialty (AIOS) in the Netherlands if you studied abroad vs. locally?

Would it be “late” to start again at 21 in the Netherlands, considering I started medical school at 19 in Serbia?

If you were in my position (or if I were your child), what would you do?

Thanks a lot in advance — I’m trying to make a decision that I won’t regret later.