site.btaBulgaria Links Medical University Admission to Domestic Healthcare Needs

In a move aimed at addressing national healthcare staffing shortages, Bulgaria will now tie admissions for medical degrees to employment contracts with designated healthcare institutions, the Minister of Education, Krasimir Valchev, announced at a briefing on Tuesday.

“We are linking admission into the field of medicine with agreements for future employment at healthcare facilities proposed by the Minister of Health,” Valchev said, referring to new government-approved changes to the rules for admission to public universities.

The reform is intended to ensure that medical graduates are retained within the country’s healthcare system. “Medical education in Bulgaria is among the most sought-after, most expensive, and most internationally recognized in Europe,” Valchev emphasized.

He noted that Bulgaria currently ranks first in the Balkans for the number of foreign medical students and leads the EU in terms of the percentage of international students enrolled in medical programs. The proportion of medical graduates leaving the country has dropped to below 20%, down from over 40% just a few years ago.

The changes also promote nursing and midwifery education by classifying these programs as priority fields, making them tuition-free to attract more students.

Valchev also announced a new requirement in economics and management programs: “This year, 15% of admissions in economics and administration will require a math matriculation exam. Next year, that number will rise to 50%. We want to signal to future applicants that if they plan to study economics, they need strong math skills.”

Additionally, the ministry will incentivize enrollment in underrepresented fields such as hydroengineering and transport engineering. Currently, only about 30 hydroengineers graduate annually, despite an estimated need of 150.

Valchev warned of a critical shortage of engineers: “For every 100 engineers retiring, only 45 young specialists are entering the workforce. If we want our economy to continue growing, we need more people in the real industries that drive GDP.”

While Bulgaria has now overcome a general teacher shortage, there remains an acute lack of teachers in STEM subjects, particularly mathematics, physics, chemistry, and IT. As a result, the government is offering free training for teachers in those disciplines. “On average, 30 people apply to be PE teachers, and not a single one for physics – that’s a major problem,” Valchev remarked, expressing hope that the new measures will help reverse the trend.