Overview
Postgraduate medicine in Egypt runs on two separate tracks. Universities award academic Diploma, Master's and Doctorate (MD) degrees through each Faculty of Medicine's own postgraduate studies office. Separately, the High Committee of Medical Specialties, a body under Egypt's Ministry of Health and Population, runs the Egyptian Fellowship Program: a practical, on-the-job postgraduate specialization track that is not a university degree. The same programme is now also referred to in the Committee's own materials as the "Egyptian Board" — Fellowship and Board are two names for one system, not two different qualifications.
Fellowship training runs inside approved specialty training centres across Egypt's governorates and combines supervised clinical work with theoretical teaching, workshops and journal clubs. Depending on the specialty, it takes 3 to 7 years to complete and leads to a specialist qualification recognized by Egypt's health authorities, roughly comparable to a specialty board certification.
Note
This file describes the general entrance route into Fellowship/Board specialty training, not one specialty's own process. The High Committee of Medical Specialties' own domains could not be fetched directly in this research, so facts here are corroborated from the Committee's own text as reproduced in secondary listings, plus the IELTS organisation's official receiving-organisations page. Confirm current conditions, exact fees and dates on the High Committee's own announcements before applying.
Who can apply
A Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBCh) degree or an equivalent medical qualification, with the compulsory internship year and a licence to practise medicine.
For Egyptian applicants who are not already Ministry of Health employees, an upper age limit applies at the time of application (commonly cited as around 45 years).
Arab and foreign doctors may apply once their medical qualification is equated by the Supreme Council of Egyptian Universities and they hold the approvals needed to train and reside in Egypt.
A recognized English-language score: a local TOEFL score of at least 500, or an equivalent test. The High Committee of Medical Specialties (listed under its "Egyptian Fellowship Boards" name) is a registered IELTS receiving organisation and accepts an IELTS Academic overall score of 6.0 or higher in place of TOEFL.
A certificate or test showing basic computer skills (word processing, presentations and internet use).
Applicants must not be registered in another postgraduate programme (Master's, Doctorate or Diploma) for the same period as Fellowship training.
How to apply
The High Committee of Medical Specialties announces new admission rounds, usually twice a year, through the official gazette, health directorates, its own website and its headquarters. Each announcement lists the specialties and governorates with vacant training places.
Within the dates given in that announcement, applicants submit their documents in person, or through a representative holding an official power of attorney, at the Fellowship/Board offices.
On the application form, each applicant lists up to five training governorates in order of preference.
Where a specialty has more applicants than places, the High Committee ranks applicants by their overall undergraduate grade, then their grade in the specialty-related subject, then age, then their stated governorate preference, to allocate the available places.
Accepted applicants complete registration, pay the applicable fees and begin training at their assigned centre.
Exam pattern
Entry itself is not gated by a single national, subject-matter written exam the way some countries' postgraduate medical entrance tests are. Instead, admission depends on meeting the eligibility conditions above — degree, internship, licence, English score, computer-skills certificate — and then on the ranked allocation of training places described under "How to apply."
Once training starts, trainees sit periodic exams to progress through and complete the Fellowship/Board: a "Part 1" exam on basic specialty knowledge, held twice a year (commonly in January and July), for which a trainee becomes eligible about six months into training; and, later, final written and final clinical exams in the specialty. These are progression exams during training, not an entrance exam before it.
Important
Secondary sources did not give a verifiable breakdown (question count, marks or exact passing score) for either the English/computer-skills qualifying tests or the in-training Part 1 and final exams. That detail is left out here rather than guessed — check the current exam regulations published by the High Committee of Medical Specialties / Egyptian Health Council for your specialty.
Fees
Applicants pay separate fees for enrollment, annual training and each exam attempt, and non-Egyptian applicants are charged at a different (higher) rate than Egyptian applicants. Reported figures for these fees varied across the secondary sources checked for this file and could not be confirmed against an official fee schedule, so exact amounts are left out here. Check the fee schedule published with the current admission announcement before applying.
After the exam
After finishing the required years of training and passing the specialty's final written and final clinical exams, a trainee is awarded the Fellowship/Board certificate in that specialty, which Egypt's health authorities recognize as a specialist qualification. Fellows who later want a subspecialty certificate generally need the general specialty certificate first.
Preparation tips
Arrange your English-language score (local TOEFL or IELTS Academic) and your basic computer-skills certificate well before an admission round opens — both are entry requirements, not formalities to sort out afterwards.
If you are an Arab or foreign applicant, start the certificate-equivalence process with the Supreme Council of Egyptian Universities early; it is a precondition for applying, not something you can complete after submitting your papers.
Check the vacant places per specialty and governorate in the admission announcement before ranking your five preferences, since places are allocated by that ranking.
Once training starts, prepare for the Part 1 exam from early on rather than waiting until you are six months in and newly eligible to sit it.
FAQs
Is the Egyptian Fellowship the same as the Egyptian Board?
Yes. They are the same postgraduate specialty training programme run by the High Committee of Medical Specialties under Egypt's Ministry of Health and Population — "Egyptian Board" is the name now used in the Committee's own materials for what was called the Egyptian Fellowship.
Do I have to pass a written entrance exam to join the Fellowship?
There is no single national subject-matter exam that decides entry. You must meet the eligibility conditions (medical degree, internship, licence, English score, computer-skills certificate), and where a specialty has more applicants than places, the High Committee ranks applicants by grades, age and preference to allocate them. Written and clinical exams come later, during training.
Can doctors from outside Egypt apply for the Egyptian Fellowship?
Yes. Arab and foreign doctors can apply once their medical qualification is equated by the Supreme Council of Egyptian Universities and they have the approvals needed to train and reside in Egypt. Non-Egyptian applicants are charged at a different fee rate than Egyptian applicants.
How long does Fellowship/Board training take?
Between 3 and 7 years, depending on the specialty, ending with final written and final clinical exams in that specialty.