Study Dentistry, Pharmacy and Nursing in Turkey: A Guide for Afghan Students

Dentistry and pharmacy are five-year programmes in Türkiye, and nursing is a four-year bachelor's degree. All three are open to Afghan students, in Turkish or in English, at state and foundation universities. They are often the best alternative for students who want a health career but do not get a place in medicine, and for some students they are the first choice. This guide explains how each programme works, what universities look for, how to judge quality and the questions you must answer before you commit years and money.

How long each programme takes

The European Commission's Eurydice description of Turkish higher education confirms that dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary faculties run ten-semester programmes and medical faculties twelve, and that graduates of these long programmes hold a second-cycle (master's-level) qualification. If you need a preparatory year to learn English or Turkish, add one year to the totals above.

Dentistry

Dentistry students spend the first years on basic medical sciences (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry) and dental materials, practise on models in pre-clinical laboratories, and then treat patients in the faculty's clinics under supervision. The final years are heavily clinical.

What to check before choosing a dentistry programme:

• Clinical capacity: does the faculty run a busy dental hospital where students treat enough patients?
• Language reality: in an English-taught programme, lectures are in English, but patients speak Turkish. You will need working Turkish by the clinical years.
• Accreditation: dental programmes in Türkiye can be accredited by DEPAD, an association registered with YÖKAK, the Turkish higher education quality council. Accreditation is given to a programme for a fixed period, so check the current status.
• Costs beyond tuition: dental students often buy their own instruments and materials. Ask the faculty for an estimate.

Pharmacy

Pharmacy combines chemistry, biology and medicine: pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, pharmaceutical technology (how medicines are made), toxicology and clinical pharmacy. Programmes include laboratory work and internships in pharmacies and hospitals.

Graduates work in community and hospital pharmacies, the pharmaceutical industry, quality control, regulatory affairs and research. Pharmacy programmes can be accredited by ECZAKDER, the pharmacy education accreditation association.

Pharmacy suits students who are strong in chemistry and enjoy laboratory work more than direct patient treatment.

Nursing and other health sciences

Nursing is a four-year bachelor's degree with a large share of clinical practice in hospitals. Nursing programmes can be accredited by HEPDAK, the nursing education accreditation association. Faculties of health sciences also offer four-year degrees in physiotherapy and rehabilitation, midwifery, nutrition and dietetics, and health management.

These programmes are generally less competitive than dentistry and pharmacy and lead to careers in high demand in many countries. Because so much of the training happens with patients, Turkish language skills matter even more than in other fields.

Admission requirements for Afghan students

Each university admits international students under its own rules. For health programmes, expect:

• Strong grade 12 results, especially in biology and chemistry (and mathematics for pharmacy). Health programmes usually set some of the highest minimum averages.
• An entrance score at many universities: TR-YÖS, the university's own YÖS exam or the SAT. See our TR-YÖS exam guide.
• Language proficiency for the language of instruction, or a preparatory year.
• Legalised and translated documents, as explained in our documents checklist.

Türkiye Scholarships accepts applicants for medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, but sets a higher bar: the official criteria require a minimum academic average of 90% for these fields. Our interview and test guide explains the selection stages.

English or Turkish?

Many Afghan students choose a Turkish-taught programme at a state university because it is more affordable and because the language they learn in the preparatory year is the one their patients speak. Students who already have strong English and a larger budget often choose English-taught programmes. Read more in our guide to English-taught degrees.

Costs

Health programmes are among the most expensive programmes at foundation universities, and fees differ greatly between universities and between state and private institutions. We do not publish figures here because they change every year; our tuition fees page explains how to find current fees. Remember to budget for instruments (dentistry), lab coats and equipment, and travel to clinical placements.

After graduation: think about licensing now

This is the question most students ask too late. A degree is not a licence to practise.

• In Afghanistan: recognition of foreign degrees and the licence to practise as a dentist, pharmacist or nurse are decided by the Afghan authorities. Check the current rules of the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Public Health before you enrol.
• In Türkiye: working in a regulated health profession as a foreign national involves separate legal requirements. Do not assume you can stay and practise.
• In other countries: most require a licensing exam, language tests and recognition of your degree. If you plan to work in a third country, research its rules first.

How to choose between dentistry, pharmacy and nursing

Ask yourself:

1. Do I want to treat patients with my hands? Dentistry.
2. Am I strongest in chemistry and lab work? Pharmacy.
3. Do I want to care for patients and work in hospital teams, with a shorter programme? Nursing or other health sciences.
4. Did I narrowly miss medicine? Dentistry and pharmacy are demanding alternatives, not easier medicine. Choose them because you want the career.

Common mistakes

• Choosing a programme only because it is English-taught and ignoring the Turkish you will need in clinics.
• Ignoring clinical capacity and accreditation in favour of a university's name or advertising.
• Underestimating total cost over five or six years, including the preparatory year.
• Not checking licensing rules for the country where you want to work.

How we help

We help you choose the right health programme for your grades, budget and goals, check language delivery, clinical training and accreditation, prepare your documents and exams, and manage the application and student visa. If medicine is your first choice, start with our study medicine in Turkey guide. Then contact our Jalalabad office to plan both options together.