Belgium fills medical, dental, and veterinary study quotas after successful entrance exams

Belgium has successfully filled all its allocated spots for aspiring doctors, dentists, and veterinarians for the upcoming academic year. In total, 1,881 students will commence their medical studies, 280 will begin dentistry programs, and 240 will start veterinary medicine training, ensuring all available places are occupied.

Thousands of students took the entrance exams in July. Following a controversial exam period last year marred by AI-driven fraud, this year's examinations returned to a centralized, paper-based format. The examination commission and Minister of Education Zuhal Demir (N-VA) have declared the edition a success, with Jonas Brouwers, chairman of the Examination Commission, describing the process as "flawless." Strict anti-fraud measures were implemented, leading to the exclusion of six participants caught with smartphones or smartglasses.

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Every place that remains empty today, we feel later in the waiting room.

As is common each year, some exam questions were neutralized after review. The commission further adjusted the "Generic Competencies" section of the medical exam after discovering some candidates used calculators while others did not. Ultimately, 30.7 percent of the 6,123 medical applicants, 13.2 percent of the 2,116 dental applicants, and 28.5 percent of the 843 veterinary applicants secured a place. Minister Demir expressed satisfaction, emphasizing the years of training required for these professions and the importance of filling all positions to allow young people to begin their studies in September.

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flawless