Special hygienic protocols were created for the two testing sites in Linz and Wels in order to protect all parties involved with regard to the infection risk of COVID-19.

The admissions test organized by the Faculty of Medicine at the Johannes Kepler University Linz will take place at the Design Center Linz as well as at the convention center in Wels.

The test will also be held at the Messe Wien in Vienna, at the Messezentrum in Salzburg, at Innsbruck Messe in Innsbruck, and in Graz at Messe Graz.
The most important safety aspects in order to conduct the admissions tests include wearing a face covering (face mask), maintaining distance, adhering to strictly regulated procedures when entering and exiting the testing rooms, and a schedule to air out the respective venues.

Stefan Koch, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at the JKU, remarked: "The annual admissions test to qualify for a spot in the medical degree program gives hope to thousands of applicants who want to make their dream of becoming a medical physician come true. Therefore, despite the challenges caused by the current pandemic, it was very important to us to hold the examination this year and give the applicants an opportunity to take part in a fair selection process based on personal performance."

Protocols for Safety and Hygiene at the Upper Austrian Testing Sites

In consultation with all of the medical universities involved, protocols for hygiene and safety have been drawn up in order to minimize the risk of any COVID-19 infection to the greatest extent possible. Protocols are based on hygienic requirements as mandated by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research and the JKU (VO Hygiene Protocol).

Therese Wagenhofer, head of Teaching and Studies Organization at the JKU, added: "This year, organizing and preparing for the medical program admissions test has been a Herculean effort that was brilliantly mastered thanks to a very dedicated and motivated team."

The protocols for Upper Austria were coordinated by COVID-19 specialist Dr. Bernd Lamprecht and presented to the Upper Austrian crisis management team.

• 2 examination locations, each able to accommodate approximately 800 candidates, and spread out in several different rooms
• A staggered schedule to enter and exit the rooms
• Face masks are mandatory (except when seated); masks will be provided by the JKU, if necessary
• Adhere to the mandate to maintain distance (at least 1 meter)
• Before entering the building, the applicants will be tested for elevated temperatures (contactless thermometer)
• Assigned seating, especially to support contact tracing
• 1 Covid-19 representative per site
• Additional professional security (also to test for temperatures)
• A total of approx. 270 employees to ensure distance is maintained and that everyone is wearing a face mask
• On-site paramedics
• On-site psychologist
• PCR testing in advance for all 270 employees
• All employees will have access to FFP2 masks
• All surfaces will be disinfected (tables and all other contact surfaces)
• The room(s) will be aired out regularly (technically and mechanically via ventilation)
• Hand sanitizer will be available to regularly disinfect hands
• There will be a separate room, separate entrance and separate restroom for those who have an increased risk of infection (such as a previous illness, etc.); those test candidates will receive a FFP2 mask
• 1 medical doctor on-site at each location to check anyone demonstrating a fever of 37.8°C or higher
• Option for on-site PCR testing for test candidates who have a fever; test results will be available before 4:00 pm on test day; these candidates will be given an FFP2 mask
• Separate room for anyone suspected of having a fever. These candidates must sign a form that they are taking the test under increased safety measures (these test candidates will be physically separated from symptom-free test candidates)
• Applicants have been warned several times to not come and take the test if they feel ill or have a fever, and to observe the safety measures when using public transportation to travel to and from the test location
• Lunch packet for the lunch break (vegan)

The Medical Admissions Test
The admissions test to be admitted to a medical degree program (MedAT-H) is a written examination containing various sections and is divided as follows:

• Basic knowledge test for medical studies: Testing material taught at school in the areas of biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics.
• Reading comprehension: Testing reading skills and understanding texts.
• Cognitive abilities and skills: This part of the exam consists of five groups of tasks (putting figures together, number sequences, word fluency, memory retention and recognizing implications), and measures basic cognitive abilities and skills.
• Social-emotional skills: This section consists of the task groups to recognize emotions and social decision-making, covering key aspects of social-emotional skills.
   

An Additional 60 Students in Linz – A Total of 1,740
A total of 1,740 spots are available in the medical degree programs for human medicine and dentistry for the 2020/2021 academic year. The Medical University of Vienna will accept 740 students, 400 students will be accepted to the Medical University of Innsbruck, 360 at the Medical University of Graz, and 240 at the JKU’s Faculty of Medicine (180 students were accepted in Linz in 2019).  95% of spots in the program are reserved for EU citizens and persons of equal status with regard to access to university studies, and 75% of spots in the program are reserved for Austrian applicants.