Living in Bochum

If you need to see a doctor in Germany, you can ask your colleagues or acquaintances for recommendations. You can find a list of all doctors, sorted by specialty, in the yellow pages of your city. It is often a good idea to see a general practitioner first - the so-called family doctor - who can refer you to a specialist if necessary. You should make an appointment with all doctors in advance by telephone. In the case of acute illnesses or accidents, you will get an appointment immediately or on the same day. In all other cases, you may have to wait a few days or even weeks for your appointment, especially with dentists or specialists.

Emergency Medical Service

If you urgently need a doctor at night, on weekends or holidays, contact the medical emergency and on-call service. Telephone numbers can be found on the RUB emergency page. The RUB emergency manual is now also available in English after logging into the serviceportal.

Pharmacy Emergency Service

If you need medication at night or on the weekend, look into the pharmacy emergency service. You can find out which pharmacy has emergency service in the daily newspaper or on the Internet. You can also find the schedule for the pharmacy emergency service on the door of every pharmacy.

Costs for Medical Treatment

Please refer to Chapter 11.1 in our manual:

• Guide for International Researchers

• German as a Foreign Language

The language department German as a Foreign Language (DaF) is part of the Ruhr University Bochum. DaF courses are aimed at different target groups, for example students or scientists. In addition to preparatory courses at the beginning of your stay, you can also attend those for consolidation and practice later on. The courses of the language department German as a Foreign Language prepare you for the TestDaF exams.

• interculturas e.V.

The association interculturas e.V. cooperates with the AStA of the Ruhr University and the Bildungswerk politisch-kultureller Zentren. The courses are aimed at students of German from all countries and are designed to provide the language skills necessary to begin or continue studies in Germany. The intermediate level courses prepare you for the "Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang" (DSH).

• Auslandsgesellschaft Intercultural Academy

The Auslandsgesellschaft Intercultural Academy offers German and integration courses for foreigners and late repatriates. You can choose between daily intensive language courses and weekly evening courses and improve your language skills in both individual and group lessons. Preparatory courses are available for the following exams: TestDaF, DSH and the German exams of the Goethe Institute. There is also a special "German for doctors" course. The headquarters of the Auslandsgesellschaft Intercultural Academy is located in Dortmund near the main train station.

• Projekt Deutsch lernen

For 30 years, Projekt Deutsch Lernen (pdl) has made it its goal to teach foreign students the German language skills they need to study in Germany. In the pdl courses, motivated teachers prepare you, in a pleasant atmosphere, excellently for the DSH. There are also courses to prepare for the TestDaF or other exams.

• Studienkolleg of the Ökumenischen Studienwerkes e.V.

The Studienkolleg of the Ökumenisches Studienwerk in Bochum offers pre-study courses to prepare students for technical and mathematical/scientific courses of study and language courses for applicants who can start studying in Germany directly if they have acquired and demonstrated the necessary language skills. The course objective and final examination is the DSH. The Studienkolleg Bochum is located on a small "campus", near the U35 stop Markstraße and has its own dormitory as well as student and staff apartments.

• Volkshochschule Bochum

The Volkshochschule (VHS) Bochum offers both language and integration courses. With these courses you can prepare for integration tests as well as certificate exams. There is also a course specifically designed to teach "German for the workplace". The courses of the VHS Bochum take place in the Education and Administration Center (BVZ) near the U35 stop Rathaus.

• German Courses for Refugees

RUB offers the Studienspur-Digital programme for refugees who are eligible to study. The target group are refugees who are planning to study at Ruhr University. One level (A1-C1) is taught within 20 weeks. The courses take place online three times a week.