Study medicine in Italy
International medical schools
Since 2009, Italian public universities have been opening English-language MD programs. 12 public medical schools now offer English-taught MD degrees. These are the universities of Bari, Bologna, Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Messina, Milan, Milan-Bicocca, Naples Federico II, Padua, Pavia, Rome La Sapienza, Rome Tor Vergata, and Turin. These English-language medical schools are among the most internationally diverse, academically rigorous, and inexpensive in the world, and are excellent preparation for residency, research, and clinical work in Europe and beyond.
With subsidized tuition fees that range between 200 and 4000 euros per year for European as well as non-Europeans, obtaining a Western-European-level medical education has never been so accessible.
Are you new here? Welcome!
Feel free to start reading the top reasons to study in Italy below, and have a look at our videos, too.
8 good reasons to study medicine in Italy
1. Admissions You will take just ONE admission exam, in English (the IMAT), that is held in more than 20 cities around the globe. No interviews, No high school GPA , No recommendation letters required. Actually, you won’t even have to fly to Italy until you know you’re in. The admission test costs around 120 euros and is held entirely in English.
2. Costs The average tuition fee is around 1200 euros/YEAR and living expenses can be as low as 600 euros/month including accommodation. This is far less then it would cost you in the US, UK, or eastern Europe. Scholarships and work possibilities are available also for foreign students.
3. English taught lectures Books, notes, and all exams will be in a language you can understand from day 1. Italian courses are also offered in order to help your daily life, without time pressure.
4. Reputable universities Several of the universities have 500+ years of experience in teaching medicine.
Click to unfold more reasons below»
5. European MD degree Your degree will allow you to specialize and practice all around Europe, including the UK. The studies are recognized also in USA for the USMLE exam.
6. Culture If you’re spending six years abroad, why not do it in a beautiful country with great food, customs, and people, in the middle of Europe? You will be surrounded by the sea, the Alps, and breathtaking lakes in the north that you won’t regret visiting. See for yourself why they call it la dolce vita.
7. Student exchange programs Spend a semester or a year in a partner university in Europe, doing all the exams and clinical work that a local student would do, and get accredited for them as well. Some universities like Pavia also offer exchanges with the USA.
8. Reserved spots Extra places are sometimes reserved for non-European candidates, making the chances for them even better.
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Latest Blog posts
Practical ways to finance your medical studies in Italy
One of the things I am really proud of, is the fact that I was able to finish my 6 years of medical studies in Pavia without asking my parents for money nor without getting any loans. In this post I will tell you how I was able to pull it off and give you several... read more
Your New Life in Bologna: An Editorial and Guide
Bologna med student Tim Lee addresses topics that prospective students of medicine in Italy often ask about, from the delicious food and fun social life, to bureaucracy and ethnic discrimination.
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How to Find Housing for Med Students in Bologna
University of Bologna student Elad Fayel gives tips on how to find housing, a difficult task in the crowded city.
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A Detailed Profile of the Bologna English Med School
The University of Bologna English med school has a good international academic reputation, and fantastic social life, in an ancient city.
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Lots of Pictures of Milan-Bicocca (Bergamo)
A collection of photos of the English med school at the University of Milan-Bicocca (Bergamo)
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Studying, Eating, and Living in Messina
by Nil Müge – A description of the life of a 2nd year student in the English med school at the University of Messina
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First Images from the New Padua Med School
Our friend Mohammad Saeed, a student in Padua, has provided medschool.it with some first images from the English med school that opened this year at the city’s ancient university.
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A Detailed Profile of Bicocca (Bergamo) Med School
The University of Milan-Bicocca’s medical school has jumped into the pool of English med schools in Italy as the second most difficult to get into for EU-affiliated applicants, Why?
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Italy English Med Schools Ranked by Admissions Difficulty (IMAT Scores) – 2018 v. 2019
The threshold IMAT score that an EU-affiliated applicant needed, to get into one of the English med schools in Italy in the first round of scrolling, increased for every school this year over 2018.
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A Look at the New English Med School in Messina, Sicily
by Nil Müge – The English med school at the University of Messina offers high-tech education in a warm, Mediterranean climate.
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Alex Ochakovski (Pavia)
Alex is a graduate of the Harvey Medical Program at University of Pavia and is the founder of MEDschool.it. He is a Resident in Ophthalmology and a Researcher in Ophthalmic Gene Therapy in Germany.
Latest posts by Alex Ochakovski (Pavia) (see all)
- Practical ways to finance your medical studies in Italy - January 14, 2020
- Official IMAT 2018 Directive released (English) - June 14, 2018
- URGENT Deadlines for pre-application to several English medical schools in 2018 - April 8, 2018