Third Cycle of Medical Studies (TCMS)

Registration requirements

Eligibility conditions for admission to the third cycle of medical studies include:

  1. Students from Tunisian medical faculties who have passed the exams of the third year of the second cycle of medical studies and have not entered the third cycle of medical studies.
  2. Students from Tunisian medical faculties who have entered the third cycle of medical studies and have resigned. Resignation is granted only once, at the end of the first semester of the first year of the cycle, subject to validation of the internships of that semester. In this case, the concerned students can participate in the exam immediately following the date of acceptance of the resignation. Notwithstanding the provisions of the previous paragraph, resignation may be granted beyond the first semester in the case of medically proven disability, following the opinion of a national commission established for this purpose, the composition, tasks, and operating procedures of which are determined by a joint order of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Minister of Health.
  3. Physicians holding a medical doctorate in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 95-2601 of December 25, 1995, which sets out the general framework of the study regime and the conditions for obtaining the national diploma of doctor of medicine, and specialist physicians in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 93-1440 of June 23, 1993, relating to specialization in medicine and the legal status of residents.
  4. Medical doctors after obtaining the certificate of qualification for the practice of family medicine in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 2011-4132 of November 17, 2011, mentioned above.
  5. Tunisian specialist physicians after obtaining the diploma of specialization in medicine in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 2011-4132 of November 17, 2011, mentioned above, and the provisions of this governmental decree.
  6. Tunisian candidates holding a foreign doctorate in medicine enabling the practice of medicine in the country that issued it and validated in accordance with the applicable regulations.
  7. Foreign candidates holding a foreign doctorate in medicine enabling the practice of medicine in the country that issued it and validated in accordance with the applicable regulations.
  8. Public health physicians according to the conditions provided for in Article 24 of Governmental Decree No. 2019-341 of April 10, 2019.

 

 

Educational objectives

The third cycle of medical studies (TCMS) aims at specialization in medical specialties and includes supervised internships as well as structured education provided by medical faculties and specialty colleges through workshops, seminars, or any other appropriate form of teaching.

Specialty colleges in medicine are established, and their composition and responsibilities are defined by a joint order of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Minister of Health.

The curriculum for the third cycle of medical studies (TCMS) is determined by a joint order of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Minister of Health, based on the common proposal of medical faculties and in consultation with the relevant specialty colleges and the national office of medical specialties.

To enter the third cycle of medical studies (TCMS), students must have passed the entrance examination for the cycle after obtaining either:

  • The diploma marking the completion of clinical studies in medicine for students from Tunisian medical faculties.
  • Or a foreign doctorate in medicine enabling the practice of medicine in the country where it was obtained, and validated in accordance with the conditions set by a joint order of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Minister of Health.