An Open Letter to Swiss Universities and the Medical Community: A Call for Fairer Access to Medical Education

To the Admissions Committees of Swiss Medical Universities, Swiss Healthcare Professionals, and the Broader Medical Community,

I write this letter not only on my behalf but on behalf of many passionate, talented, and hardworking individuals who dream of contributing to Switzerland’s healthcare system but find themselves barred from medical education due to restrictive residency policies.

Switzerland is known for its world-class medical education and healthcare system, yet access to medical studies is currently determined not only by merit, ability, and commitment — but by residency status. This means that highly qualified, motivated individuals who have moved to Switzerland to build a future here, who pay taxes, and who are actively integrating into Swiss society are denied access to study medicine simply because of where they were born or how long they have lived here.

I am one such individual. One of many. I am unable to change my residency status despite my commitment to medicine, my willingness to integrate into Swiss society, and my contributions as a tax-paying resident.

I moved to Switzerland not out of convenience, but out of necessity — seeking safety, stability, and a future for my child. Before leaving my home country, crime rates were soaring, and it was no longer a place I could consider safe to raise my daughter. Just weeks before our move, a man was violently stabbed at our doorstep. Days later, our car was broken into in broad daylight — its windows shattered, our baby’s stroller stolen, and human waste left inside. Drug addiction was rampant outside our home. I could no longer accept that this was my child’s environment. My husband was already working in Zürich, and so, we decided to reunify and build a new life in a country that values security, progress, and excellence.

However, despite my dedication, my efforts to integrate, and my deep commitment to medicine, I am not allowed to even sit the entrance exam (EMS) to prove my ability — simply because my residency status does not fit the required category.

This is not just my story. There are countless aspiring doctors in Switzerland — foreign nationals who live, work, and contribute to this country — who are unable to pursue medical studies, not because they lack ability, but because of bureaucratic restrictions.

 

Clarification: This Is About Fair Opportunity, Not More Seats

It is important to emphasize that this initiative does not seek to increase the number of available medical school places in Switzerland. We fully recognize that Switzerland must manage its limited resources and ensure high educational standards.

Instead, we are advocating for a simple, fair principle:

• Medical school admission should be mainly based on merit, not residency status, if we are tax-paying residents
• Anyone who meets the academic requirements and is willing to sit the EMS exam should have the right to take it — just like Swiss citizens.
• This is not about demanding special treatment for non-citizens. We are not asking for universities to make more space, change admission quotas, or create new policies that disadvantage Swiss applicants. We are only asking for the right to compete fairly — under the same objective criteria that every other candidate must meet.

 

Why Residency-Based Admissions Are Unfair and Harm Swiss Healthcare

1. Medical Schools Should Select Mainly on Ability, Not Bureaucracy: The EMS exam is designed to identify the most capable and suitable students for medical training. If this system is meant to ensure only the most talented applicants enter the field, why should nationality or residency status override merit?
2. Switzerland Has a Growing Doctor Shortage: The Swiss healthcare system already relies heavily on foreign-trained doctors, as the number of medical graduates is not sufficient to meet demand. Would it not be more beneficial to train dedicated individuals already living in Switzerland, rather than excluding them and later having to recruit doctors from abroad?
3. We Need More Women in Medicine, Especially in Surgery: Women remain underrepresented in surgical fields and leadership positions in medicine. Restrictive admission policies may disproportionately affect highly motivated women who wish to enter medicine later in life, after having children or changing careers. Switzerland should support gender diversity in medicine, not create additional barriers.
4. Education is Key to Integration and Contribution: Switzerland prides itself on being a country that values integration and equal opportunities. Allowing non-citizen residents to access medical education would strengthen their ability to contribute meaningfully to Swiss society and healthcare rather than leaving them locked out of professional advancement.
    

A Call to Action: Supporting Fair Access to Medical Education

We, the undersigned, urge Swiss universities and policymakers to reassess the rigid residency-based admission restrictions and consider:

• Allowing all tax-paying residents to sit the EMS exam, regardless of nationality or permit type.
• Creating alternative pathways for highly motivated non-citizen residents to qualify for medical studies.
• Recognizing that ability, dedication, and commitment — not nationality — should determine who gets to become a doctor.

I am willing to fulfil any academic or preparatory requirements necessary to demonstrate my ability and commitment to medicine. However, I kindly ask the Swiss medical community and policymakers:

Will you let people like me — who are willing to dedicate their lives to healing others — prove themselves? Or will you continue to block the path of capable, passionate individuals based on administrative barriers rather than merit?

If you believe in a fairer, more merit-based medical admissions process in Switzerland, I invite you to sign this letter and stand in support of greater access to medical education for dedicated future doctors who are already part of Swiss society.

 

How You Can Support This Initiative

1. Sign this letter to show support for a fairer admissions process.
   Share it with medical professionals, educators, and students who believe in selecting future doctors based on merit.
2. Encourage policymakers and university officials to reconsider restrictive residency-based barriers in medical education.

Together, we can work towards a Swiss medical education system that values, above all: skill, dedication, and diversity.

Note: English is not my first language, and I have used AI-assisted tools to refine this letter for clarity. However, the ideas, reasoning, and personal experience expressed here are entirely my own.

Sincerely,

Francisca Xavier