Introduction

Tunisia  or Republic of Tunisia is a north African country. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea,  Algeria, Libya. Tunis is the capital city and Arabic is official language while French is required in national institutions, especially education. Population is 11 millions (2015 est ) and country has high human development index.

Tunisian Health care system is improving and mainly overseen by Ministry of Health.

Life expectancy at birth of Tunisians is the highest among African countries with 75 years after 72 years in Algeria and 71 in Egypt respectively.

More information about official country’s health statistical data can be seen here

Health profile of Tunisia

Undergraduate Medical Education

Undergraduate medical education in Tunisia  starts after 15 years of school education and entry into medical school is after passing a competitive exam. (more information about structure of education can be seen here).

Faculty of medicine of Tunis of university of Tunis El Manar offers 6 year MD (Doctor of Medicine) degree program which is basic Medical studies in Tunisia and is organized in three cycles:

1. 1st cycle is for 2 years and consists of basic medical sciences
2. 2nd cycle lasts 4 years and consists of 3 years of clinical sciences followed by one year of internship.
3. Third cycle consists of specialty training in  Family Medicine (two years) or other specialties (4 to 5 years)

Foreign student can apply to study medicine in Tunisia but basic medical education is in French so language proficiency up to B2 level is prerequisite.

Residency

Tunisia medical residency  training is offered in many disciplines. Mainly divided into two domain. Family medicine (FM) or other specialties.

Training in specialties outside FM (Family Medicine)

To enter into residency/training (outside FM), medical student should apply to the residency test which is optional but it is the only way to  access to other specialties (outside the FM). This exam is organized by the Ministry of Public Health .

Training in FM (family medicine)

Medical students who have failed or those who do not want to do training in another specialty, must complete two years of training in family medicine. These courses will be adapted to the training of future family doctor.

Foreign medical graduates can get entry into Tunisia medical residency training program if they get equivalence of their qualification from ministry of Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific research of Tunisia (see below procedure section) and then they have to do one year internship in medicine (as Tunisian medical students do in their last 6th year of education). After that they will be eligible to take residency entry exam like local medical graduates.   

More information about residency training in Tunisia

Licence/Registration

To practice medicine in Tunisia as general practitioner local and foreign medical graduates in private or as civil servant or employee, should register with National Order of Tunisian Doctors in Tunisia  (“conseil national d’  Ordre  des Médécins  de Tunisie”). There is no examination for registration and foreign medical graduates can register in Tunisia if they complete all documents and send it to National Order of Tunisian Doctors.

Also specialists who hold additional qualification can register with the council after Recognition of qualifications (reconnaissance de qualifications et des compétences .) Detailed process can be found below under procedure heading.

Eligibility

For applying for residency exam

For Tunisia medical residency exam eligibility criteria is :

• Students pass the fifth year in medicine (DCEM3) with success without credit exam
• Not registered for FM (Family medicine) training

There is No limitation for the number of exam entries with the condition that student don’t register in FM.

Eligibility to get the Degree of Doctor of Medicine:

• Success  examinations of DCEM (examinations and internship)
• Success  clinical exams
• Success in cycle of  family medicine or residency
• Thesis which should be in Second  semester of the second year of the third cycle

Note: For local students who think to have speciality abroad , they should complete a thesis

Eligibility for licence/registration :

• Basic medical qualification certificate
• Equivalence certificate of basic (7 year of education and training) and additional medical qualification (4 year for medicine or other) (if any) from ministry of Education in Tunisia

Procedure

Procedure for Residency training

Foreign Medical graduates can also join Tunisia medical residency program after getting registration with the National Order of Tunisian Doctors (they should first get equivalence certificate of their basic and additional (if any) qualifications from Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific research of Tunisia)

Procedure for License/registration

1. Fill this application form for equivalence attach all documents mentioned in this form with it then submit it to Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific research of Tunisia and get Equivalence certificate from them of your basic and additional (if any) medical qualification (if you got your medical qualification from abroad
2.  Fill application form for registration from the National Order of Tunisian Doctors
3. Attach list of documents with complete application form mentioned in the application form (also below in documentation section) and submit it to regional council
4. After some time doctor will get a certificate of registration with a professional card (usually it takes 2-4 weeks)

Also read these guidelines for more information about registration

For more information and questions contact National Order of Tunisian Doctor

Examination

1. Residency exam is conducted by Ministry of health of Tunisia each year in faculties of medicine (currently there are four faculties of medicine in Tunisia i.e. Faculty of medicine of Tunis of university of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, Monastir University, Faculty of medicine of University of Sfax and Faculty of medicine of Ibn Al Jazzar de Sousse)

The residency exam is composed of 75 questions : MCQ and SEQ (Short Essay Questions)

The questions are the objectives of courses of externship. The period of preparation for contest is at least 4 months from August to November.

Student can prepare for it through preparation courses organized by the faculties of medicine

2. License/registration

Currently there is no examination for foreign medical graduates for registration in Tunisia. they should complete all required documents and should send it to National Order of Tunisian Doctors for registration.

Documentation

1. Documentation for studying in Tunisia

Documentation and guidelines and process to study in Tunisia can be found here

2. Documents for residency exam “according to faculty of medicine of Tunis”

• Copy of identity card
• Two stamped envelopes bearing the name and address of the candidate.
• Two passport size photos.
• Fill an information sheet (be removed locally)
• A check of 250 DT payable to the » l’amicale des médécins diplomés de la faculté de medicine de tunis «

3. Documents for licence / registration 

• Filled application form for registration
• Certified Copy of degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD) + the Original
• Certified Copy of equivalence of degree of doctor in medicine (issued by Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific research of Tunisia) in the case of a foreign degree + the Original
• A criminal record (not exceeding three months)
• 03 passport size photographs.
• Any former license/registration certificate in the country of origin (if any)
• Registration Fee 70DT ( 60DT annual subscription + 10DT business card )
• 02 Copies of the Identity Card or Passport
• Certification of the Ministry of National Defense, if national military service performed; or exemption; or military career. Otherwise solemn undertaking doctor to regularize its position vis-à-vis the national service.

4. For specialists registration

Foreign Specialists can get registration after recognition of their qualification

Documents for recognition of qualification (“la reconnaissance de qualification“) are:

• Fill an application form for qualification recognition
• A certified copy of the diploma and original
• If foreign qualification then certificate of equivalence (from Ministry of Education) see above procedure section

It usually takes 30 days for registration as specialists by Faculty of medicine of Tunis of university of Tunis El Manar

Fee

Fee for residency exam is 250 DT

Fee for licence / registration in National Order of Tunisian Doctors is 70 DT

Salary

For the General practitioner is 780 DT (400 USD) and for the resident doctor is 980 DT (500USD)

For specialist doctor 1300 DT -1600DT (650-800 USD)

Postgraduate Medical Education

Faculty of medicine of Tunis university of Tunis El Manar offers for local and foreign students postgraduate courses in the context of Complementary Education Certificates (CEC) in many clinical disciplines. More information can be found here.

For other postgraduate options there are regular seminars and conferences organized by Medical Association of Tunisia and medical faculties of different universities.

Links

Faculty of medicine of Tunis university of Tunis El Manar

National Order of Tunisian Doctors

Ministry of Health of Tunisia

Ministry of Higher education and Scientific research of Tunisia

Medical Association of Tunisia

Post Author: Chaima Jouini