In this personal account, I share how my journey to becoming a doctor took me across countries — and through very different healthcare systems. What started as a clear childhood dream turned into a path full of detours, lessons learned, and a new kind of mission.
Why I Didn't Study in South Africa – and How I Became a Doctor Anyway
I’m Nora.
Growing up, I always knew I wanted to become a doctor. It wasn’t something I discovered along the way; it was something I carried with me from a young age.
I was twelve when I had my first surgery. I remember lying in the hospital bed, watching everything around me, the nurses moving with intention, the doctors focused and composed. There was a certain rhythm to it all. Even as a patient, I felt a sense of calm being there. That experience sparked something in me. I didn’t fully understand it then, but I knew medicine was what I wanted to do.
Towards the end of secondary school, my dad told me I would be going to the University of Pretoria, School of Medicine in South Africa to study medicine. I was excited and ready to begin the journey I had thought about for so long.
But after I graduated, he changed his mind for reasons best known to him. It was confusing and disappointing, but sometimes life doesn’t come with explanations.
Thankfully, my parents continued to search for other opportunities. With the help of my Organic Chemistry home tutor, they discovered a medical university in Ukraine, and soon after, I was on my way.
Living in Ukraine came with its share of ups and downs. A new culture, a new language, and a different environment, but I adjusted. I completed my studies and graduated as a doctor.
After medical school, I returned to my home country and began working at a maternity hospital in a small city, the same city I grew up in. During my internship there, I came face-to-face with the shortcomings of our healthcare system. I saw firsthand how poor health policies, a lack of proper guidelines, and weak infrastructure impacted the care people received, especially women and children. It was disheartening to witness how vulnerable populations were often left behind in a system that lacked structure and support.
That experience was a turning point. It shifted my focus beyond clinical medicine and sparked a deep interest in health policy and systems. I realized I wanted to be part of creating change, not just by treating patients, but by helping shape the frameworks that determine who gets access to quality care.
Motivated by this new direction, I returned to Ukraine and began searching for master’s programs in Public or International Health. Fortunately, I was accepted into the Master of Science in International Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin — one of Europe’s leading medical universities.
It wasn’t the path I originally imagined, but it’s the one that shaped me as a doctor, as a person, and now, as someone committed to strengthening health systems and advancing equitable care for all.
How the Pandemic, War, and Bureaucracy Shaped My New Start in Germany
Moving to Germany wasn’t a sudden decision. It had been in my mind ever since I got accepted to study a Master’s in International Health. It felt like the next step, a way to build on my medical degree and expand my perspective.
Not long after I was admitted, COVID-19 happened. Most of my Master’s program ended up being online. At first, it felt like a delay in my plans, but it also gave me time to prepare for what was coming.
Eventually, I had to travel to Germany to complete the modules that couldn’t be done remotely. I had to navigate restrictions and enter a country I had never lived in before.
But I didn’t travel immediately. I was preparing for my move, gathering my documents, when the war between Ukraine and Russia started. I was living in Kyiv at the time, and on the 24th of February 2022, I woke up to the sound of bombing in the early hours of the day.
Arriving in Germany was both exciting and unfamiliar. Despite the preparation, nothing fully prepared me for the language, the systems, and the structure.
The program itself was challenging and informative. It helped me understand how healthcare systems work in a different context and gave me a broader view of public health.
But beyond the academic work, I found myself asking: What comes next?
Because the degree was just one step. I still wanted to find my place in the healthcare system here. And that was a different journey on its own.
Getting Licensed in Germany: What I Wish I’d Known Sooner
Life in Germany brought a different kind of challenge, one that wasn’t medical, academic, or even entirely visible. It was the challenge of integration. Of starting over. Of learning how to exist and eventually thrive in a system that wasn’t built for me.
When I first arrived, one of the things that struck me was how bureaucratic everything is. Every process, from registering an address to applying for health insurance or professional recognition, came with multiple layers of paperwork. Each step required exact documentation, and the smallest misstep could delay things for weeks or even months. It was overwhelming, especially in a system where I was still learning the language and rules.
That was just the beginning.
I started studying German as soon as possible, knowing it was the key to working in healthcare here. Reaching the B2 level felt like a major win. I could have conversations, understand official communications, and start building my life. But there were still mistakes, awkward ones, frustrating ones. Language is more than words. It’s cultural understanding, tone, and nuance, and in medicine, where precision and trust are vital, the stakes are even higher.
But what I hadn’t expected and what no one warned me about was just how long and difficult it would be to get recognized as a doctor in Germany. I never thought my Master’s degree would be a direct or smooth path to becoming a practicing doctor here. Instead, it turned out to be an important alternative, opening doors in non-clinical medicine and health policy, while I continue to work toward full clinical recognition.
If I had known that completing what’s called ‘’housejob’’ in my home country, rotating through pediatrics, gynecology and obstetrics, surgery, and internal medicine, could have counted toward the two-year clinical requirement in Germany, I would have done it before leaving. I thought starting the Master’s program here would be a straightforward step forward, but I missed some crucial information early on.
I also didn’t know that it’s often faster and more efficient to get your medical license through the Medical and Dental Council of your home country first, even if you plan on working outside the country. That recognition can sometimes streamline the German licensing process, but again, I learned this too late.
These were hard lessons. Not because I did anything wrong, but because I didn’t know what questions to ask. And in a system this complex, not knowing can cost you time, energy, and direction.
Although it’s still possible for me to meet the requirements and complete the process here in Germany, I know now that it will take more time than I originally expected. And while that’s frustrating, I’m also grateful because my Master’s program has given me a meaningful alternative path: the opportunity to work in Non-clinical medicine, in health policy, systems, and international health.
It’s not the path I planned, but it’s one I’ve grown to value. It’s helping me see medicine beyond the clinic walls in legislation, research, and advocacy. And in many ways, it’s helping me become the kind of doctor I never imagined I’d be, but now know I was meant to become.
Facing similar challenges?
The path to getting licensed as a doctor in Germany is often more complex than it seems — but you don’t have to go through it alone.
Our Get2Germany eGuide walks you through every step — with clear information, real-life insights, and practical advice to help you avoid the detours I had to take.
Find out which steps apply to your situation — and make your journey to becoming a doctor in Germany smoother.