Background

My name is Alexia Radut and I'm from Romania, Craiova. I attended the National College Fratii Buzesti on the profile of natural sciences, where I studied mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology in high school. Right now, I am doing a Bachelor in Medicine at Groningen University, Netherlands, being in my second year here.

Extracurriculars

I got into Groningen with these extracurriculars:

• A medical internship with a GP*, a volunteering program at the Inspectorate of Medical Emergency;

• Participated in a first aid course;

• Volunteering activities with Interact, which is a community association, and we did community-based work;

• Donations to kids with disabilities or kids in hospitals;

• Was the director of human resources in an organisation, also the president of the same organisation;

• Took the Cambridge C2 exam (French as well);

• Participated in an online three-month course on schizophrenia offered by Wesley University. After the lectures ended, I had to take a test, and based on that test, I got a diploma.

fI started these extracurriculars as soon as I started high school, but focused on the medical aspect since 11th grade.

*GP - When you go to any general practitioner and you shadow them for a week. You see their daily activities, how they interact with patients, how they establish a diagnosis, how they prescribe medication. If you're lucky, they can also let you do some minimal stuff. For instance, they let me do bandaging or clean wounds. Here, you get the real medical communication and first-hand experience.

Why the Netherlands?

I decided I wanted to study abroad as soon as I started high school. I didn't want to stay in the country because of the educational system.

Initially, I wanted to go to the UK, but after Brexit, that was no longer an option. I had to find another English-speaking country and the Netherlands seemed like the best option for me. The Netherlands’ program is more based on logic, on critical thinking, peer-to-peer learning, and practical things.

Groningen and Maastricht are the only universities that offer an English-taught Bachelor program for medicine in the Netherlands, but I chose Groningen because it has one of the most practical-focused medical programs.

Admission Process

Educational system

I'm doing a Bachelor in Medicine, and then I will go on with the Master's and the Residency program.

In the Netherlands, there's also a course, a minor called Honours College. They select the best people in all universities, in all bachelors, based on grades, your CV, motivation letter, and recommendation letter. The program is a competitive, multidisciplinary course and it includes assignments designed to encourage thinking using different perspectives, such as medical, legal, financial, and psychological. This approach helps students prepare for real-world challenges after graduation.

In the second semester of the second year (my case), students can choose a minor; in this case, I chose a business minor.

In the third year, I will work on a research project, collaborating with a diverse group from different Bachelor programs. At the end, students present their projects and graduate with both a Bachelor’s degree in their field and an Honours Degree.

Admission Structure

The admission process was harder than I had expected because in the Netherlands they want to see how in-depth you can think. Each year, they choose a topic that you get one month before the actual exam. You have two exams that you have to take - the cognitive one, where you receive medicine-related topics, and the non-cognitive one, which is based on medical ethics. Both exams were physical, so I had to be there.

The first exam

I applied in 2023 and the topic was osteoporosis, osteopenia, and fragility fractures in the elderly. We received quite a large study material, around 500 pages, that we had to study in one month. The exam was tough because it was not just reproducing what you read. They gave you cases, and based on what you read in those clinical studies, you could come up with a diagnosis, or prescribe a treatment.

The second exam

I also had to learn about the legal system in medicine, what you're allowed to do, what you're not allowed to do. In the ethical exam we received three controversial cases of medical ethics. For instance, we were separated into teams and received a case about a patient with dementia who couldn't decide for herself, even though her condition was life-threatening and she needed surgery.

I would say the materials don't really help you when you're faced with the case itself, because that's when your logical thinking and compassion come to the surface. Of course I had all the guidelines in the back of my mind but, at that moment, I just thought on my feet and asked myself: "Ok, I'm a doctor now, what should I do?" and my reasoning earned me a place here.

Admission Procedure

Firstly, you have to submit your CV together with your motivation letter, recommendation letter and the C1 English exam (Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL etc.) until the 15th of January. The application portal for the Netherlands is StudieLink.

After you submit your CV, you get the study materials for both the exams. The exams are in mid-February, and you have to wait two months before the results come; I received mine in April.

I had the baccalaureate* at the end of high school, in June, and after that, I had to send in my transcription of the grades I got. But the grades that I got in the baccalaureate didn't really matter, it was for them to see that I graduated high school.

baccalaureate* - Romanian grading exam one takes at the end of their 12th grade

Grading

In the Netherlands, admission exams don’t provide a grade; instead, they use a six-number score, which is used to rank students. They don’t give you a grade like 100, 99, or 98. After the exams, all the scores are compared and ranked in order. The ranking number reflects your performance relative to others.

For example, if everyone scores poorly, and the highest score is a 60, the person with a 60 will be ranked number one.

My ranking number was 15, based on my performance in both cognitive and non-cognitive exams. This system is all about comparison, not individual grades. Your rank depends on how well you did compared to other candidates.

The motivation letter in the Netherlands has a specific structure you need to follow.

First, explain why you chose the subject and why you want to study medicine. What’s your motivation behind it?

Next, dive into your CV, explaining why you did those activities and what you learned from them. Talk about how they impacted you and changed your thinking.

Then, explain why you chose this specific university. What drives you to study there?

The last part is where you explain why the university should want you. Why would you be a good fit for their team? What can they gain from having you? You can include a personal story.

However, it doesn't need to be a life-changing event. You can simply say your motivation comes from a desire to help people. The key is to be honest and convincing about why you chose this field.

*For example, in the USA, you have to write tons of essays. You have to be impactful and you have to tell a story each time, be as dramatic and inspiring as possible. I was actually amazed by the fact that here it's more on the practical side, it’s easier this way.

Financial planning

Financial support

When I first moved here, I knew nothing about financial support. My only financial support was through my parents, who still support me financially.

However, I found out about the duo grants, which are some grants from the government that you can take here. You have to apply for them if you're a student and you can get some compensations for money. But now I also have a job. I work as a teacher's assistant, so I also make some money on my own. You can tutor the students who are years below you and they pay really well. For example, the teacher’s assistant job pays 20 euros per hour.

The tuition fee itself is 2500 euros per year, but in the first year is 1000 euros. You cannot get any scholarships in the Netherlands because they consider their tuition fee is low enough. You have a lot of job opportunities, either in the university or on the side, in a coffee place or a cafeteria.

Monthly Budget

I live in Groningen, which is a student city, so the accommodation rents are not as high as in Amsterdam. For the renting part, the prices are between 400 and 800 a month. For food or going out, you are going to spend around 300-400 euros, implying that you cook for yourself and only go out once in a while. As an international student, you need to have some financial support from your parents, because otherwise, I don't think anyone can manage with only their student job. There are some discounts for students, of course, as in every country.

Student Life and Adaptation

Social Life and Making Friends

I moved here in late August last year and I participated in an international introduction week with people from all over the world. I was surprised because the friends that I made in that week are still some of my best friends that I see every week. We really connected and the relationships I created are really meaningful.

You are an international student, and you are away from your family so, all the international friends you have are your second family. You need each other, and that's why the connections are like that. I love being in an international community; my friends are from all over the world!

Also, everyone is very open-minded, so it's easy to make friendships here. Everyone integrates you, no one discriminates against anyone.

Adaptation to a New Teaching System

The transition from the Romanian to the Dutch educational system was challenging. Studying was hard initially because I didn’t know how to study in this new context. The first two exams were tough as I had to figure out how to learn effectively. It took about three months to adjust to the system.

The Dutch medical education focuses on clinical reasoning rather than just theory. You don’t study anatomy, histology, or physiology separately. Instead, you study diseases, with patients coming to lectures weekly. This interaction helps putting everything into context. You still study the theoretical components, but they are linked to understanding diseases. This was a big adjustment for me, learning to study in this way while managing an enormous amount of material. For example, some weeks require studying 500 pages. Selective thinking is essential—knowing what to focus on and what to skim for open-book questions. The emphasis is on understanding and application, not memorization.

Ethics and professional development are also integral. Aside from exams, we have courses designed to prepare us for the future. In medicine, this includes medical communication, with psychologists teaching effective communication with patients. Scientific training focuses on research skills, reading articles, and self-development in research. There are also coach and tutor meetings emphasizing leadership, communication, and collaboration. The aim is to develop well-rounded medical experts.

Accommodation

In the first year, when I moved here, I lived in a student accommodation. In the Netherlands, they have places full of students that rented. You socialise a lot and make friends, and it's really easy to get that type of accommodation.

You don't have to speak to landlords themselves; you just sign a contract, and I would encourage people to apply for student housing in the first year. And after that, you can, of course, move in with someone or find another place on your own.

Studying in Another Language

Everything is in English, but I do not consider that to be difficult. When you start studying in a different language from the very start—because I started medicine in English— my whole medical vocabulary is in English, so it’s really easy.

However, my master is going to be in Dutch, because you need to communicate with patients. You have to work in a hospital, so medicine is the only subject in the Netherlands that requires knowing Dutch. I have to learn Dutch for the master's program, but we have Dutch courses at university. In one year and a half, I have to be fluent to be able to continue with the Master's.

Work-Life Balance

Everyone knows that medicine is a lot of work, many long study days and maybe sleepless nights when you have an exam coming up. That is true, and I do not deny that. I have days when I study almost non-stop. But if you're good at time management, you can also find lots of time for yourself. In the first year, I was struggling a bit. In the first semester, I don't think I had lots of time for social activities. But right now it's okay, and only two weeks before an exam I deeply start focusing on studying.

I usually never refuse social activities. I still find time for my friends, for relaxing, for doing something on the weekends. In Groningen, you have a festival, a market, lots of stuff going on all the time. Usually, you can find stuff to do in the city or just with friends at someone's place.

The most challenging part

The fact that all of a sudden, you are left to figure out everything on your own. You don't have someone to rely on; you have to figure out your rent, your finances, take care of the household, go shopping. You have to pay attention to your social life and everything. And of course, the first time that you end up in a different country, you are alone because you don't have any friends. So it might be a bit frightening, but slowly, everything gets better. And trust me, it does get better. You start learning how to manage everything, make friendships, and everything turns out fine in the end.

Homesickness

Yes, as an international student, homesickness is a really big part. But it really helps to know that you have good friends here that care about you. And then, of course, you go home, and everything is worth it because you see your family and your friends.

Is the Netherlands dual?

It definitely provides for both those who want STEM and arts. In the Netherlands, there are research universities and applied sciences universities, catering to different preferences. At Groningen, you have many options.

For theory-focused fields like medicine, law, or engineering, research universities provide in-depth theory and research opportunities.

For more hands-on fields like psychology, international communications, business, or arts, applied sciences universities emphasize practical experience over theory. Both types offer equal opportunities and are recognized at the same level.

Advice from Alexia

For a 9th Grader

Don't let anyone tell you that your dreams are too big; if you have one, go for it. Do not put yourself down because the only limit we actually have is our own mind. You can achieve anything that you want, and if people tell you that your goals are too high, that's their problem, not yours. You go for those goals, and you're going to achieve them if you work hard enough.

For a 1st Year Student

It gets better. People are frightened when they first come here, they don't know how to manage everything around them. They feel homesick and they also feel like they are not good enough because the workload is so high. We are speaking about university, about an academic level in a different country, in a different language.

Is it Difficult to Apply Internationally?

No, it's not because a lot of countries are open to international people. The only hard part is to get the information about the admission procedures, because when people want to go study abroad, they don't know simply what to start with. You can gain that information either from study advisors, or simply doing a Google search on the website of the faculty you want to apply to. The main aspect is to be informed and make an informed decision about which faculty is the one for you. If you start working in high school and you're really ambitious, and you have everything that you need, then there's no issue.