Medical education in Italy

The requirements for studying medicine in Italy

Italy is located in the southern Europe. This country is a popular and a well-known destination for different people due to its unique energy sources, ancient culture and stunning sightseeing. Italy is a founding member of the European Union and a key member of the NATO and the OECD. The capital of Italy, Rome, is not only one of the top tourist destinations in the world, but also plays a key role in the Christian world due to the Government of Vatican City. The average cost of living in Italy is around € 1,000 per month. The universities of Italy use the Numerus Clausus system for medical education as well as postgraduate vocational training. This educational system emphasizes on the limited number of students at the class and does not allow the number of class members to reach more than 20.

Medical education in Italy is divided into two parts. Studying in Italian and studying in English. Many medical universities in Italy require students to pass the IMAT exam, which is an international medical admission exam or a similar entrance exam. In this exam, applicants’ logical skills and knowledge of English, biology, chemistry and other science-related subjects are tested. After passing the IMAT exam, people will be eligible to study medicine in Italy. This exam is held once a year. People will take an internship course for 6 months after completing their studies and graduation. Then you will be given an International Placement Exam to be able to work as a doctor in Italy. Medical education in Italy lasts for 6 years, meaning that its 12 semesters.

Studying medicine in English-language is generally suitable for natives or people with a B2 level of Italian. In order to enroll in any Italian university to get their first degree, students are required to take a B2 level Italian language exam. The Italian language exam is usually held one or two days before the entrance exam. Passing this exam is a mandatory requirement for getting admitted to the selected university course or getting admitted to the entrance exam of special educational levels. The Italian language exam is customized according to each of the universities and colleges. Students who already have CILS, CELI, and PLIDA certifications for B2 level are exempted from taking the Italian language exam. Most of the students in order to improve their language and exam fundamentals, need to take pre-medical courses in Italy in order to get the Minimum score possible on their Italian language exam.

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Topics reviewed in this article:

• The cost of medical education in Italy
• IMAT exam
• Medical education in Italy in English-language
• Scholarships for medical education in Italy
• Medical universities in Italy
• Medical Specialization in Italy

The cost of medical education in Italy

One of the concerns of people who want to immigrate through medical education is always estimating the cost of education and living. Medical education in Italy follows the same rule and is no exception. Applicants for medical education in Italy should know that there are two types of universities for studying medicine, which are divided into public and private universities. Tuition fees at the public universities of Italy range from € 600 to € 1,200, and tuition fees at the private universities in this country are around € 15,000. Students in Italy can also work part-time while they are studying to manage their living expenses. In the next section, the cost of living in this country must be estimated.

Italy is one of the cheapest countries to live in and many immigrants choose this country because of its cheap education and low living expenses. Generally, the cost of living in Italy is estimated at around 800 euros. The total cost of living for international students in Italy is between 700 to 1,000 euros per month. These costs include accommodation, food, public transportation, local trips or entertainments

IMAT exam

The International Medical Admission Test (IMAT) is a talent assessment test which is used as part of the admission process in some of the universities of Italy. These universities offer undergraduate courses in English and are available to applicants in and out of Italy. This exam is sometimes mistakenly named as the Italian medical exam. The IMAT exam is an entrance exam for some of Italy’s top courses in English. To take this exam, a person must have an IELTS score of 5.5 or higher. The cost of the IMAT exam is 130 euros, and if students get a score of 20 in all of the 4 different sections of this exam, they will be eligible for the next steps and will get accepted / admitted. Generally, this exam has 60 questions, each question has a score of 1.5. If the applicant answers a question incorrectly, 0.4 points will be deducted from his / her result.  The IMAT exam are held in countries such as Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Turkey and…. This exam is held in September. Registration usually starts in June or July for about 2 to 3 weeks

Medical education in Italy in English-language

Since 2009, the public universities of Italy have started medical programs in English. More than 12 public medical schools offer MBBS (

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) degrees in English. These medical schools which teach in English are among the most international, the most diverse, and in terms of academic the cheapest in the world, and are well prepared for residency/accommodation, research and clinical work in Europe and beyond that. Various universities in Italy offer medical courses in English to international students, all of which are recognized throughout the European Union. The unique combination of traditional Italian charm and modern opportunities is appealing to many international practitioners. All of the medical programs that are in English at the universities of Italy require the applicant to take the IMAT exam. The duration of medical education in Italy is 5 to 6 years. Of course, this time depends on the type of field and your orientation. The following universities offer medical courses in Italy.

• Sapienza University of Rome
• Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna
• Universita degli studi di Bari
• Humanitas University of Milan
• University of Naples
• University of Pavia
• University of Turin

Scholarships for medical education in Italy

One of the reasons why Italy has become so popular in developing countries is that it offers a variety of scholarship programs. Scholarship programs in Italy sometimes reach thousands of different types. Medical education in Italy is one of the study programs for people who want to migrate and who are looking to get scholarships. First of all, we need to know the differences between scholarships, funds and free education.

Free education means that the person does not need to pay tuition or fees to study at a university, and only pays for student insurance and for the preparation of pamphlets and study equipment annually.

Scholarships are study programs that don’t have just financial aspects. Many PhD-scholarship programs come with a job offer from which the applicant earns a living. But scholarships also have financial aspects, and may reimburse living expenses and university tuition fees on the due date.

Scholarships are offered in a limited way and the applicant can get a scholarship in the degree they are studying at by proving special circumstances.  Every year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, with the support of the government of Italy, offers some regional or academic scholarships to various individuals, including international students. Their purpose of doing this is to promote the Italian language, culture and sciences to the people of the world and to inform them about the superior economic situation and living conditions of Italy. In the following, we will review some scholarships in Italy.

• Scholarships that are offered by the government of Italy

These scholarships are considered for non-EU students and are offered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy.

• Scholarships that are offered by the University and C.I.Di.S

This scholarship program is offered to special students with special conditions/circumstances.

• DSU Provincial Scholarship

This type of scholarship is offered regionally. This scholarship is offered in cash or free access to a series of services for free. This scholarship can be offered to the applicant up to 5,500 Euros per year. This type of scholarship is competitive and the student must show that he / she has a series of conditions and requirements to get this type of scholarship.

Medical universities in Italy

Another effective element in choosing a migration path for education is choosing a university to study. Perfectionism has always been present in our culture, which is not particularly interesting in the migration process. Because the person wants to study in the top universities of the country. But generally, the top universities in each country need special requirements for admitting students. Medical education in Italy also follows this rule, and the universities of Italy are one of the effective factors in choosing the path of study for students. In the table below we will review the medical universities in Italy.

Medical Specialization in Italy

There are many doctors who every year think of continuing their studies in specialization courses in their desired fields. Doctors can study in specialization courses in two ways. The first way is that they are studying general medicine courses in Italy and are now thinking of upgrading their education, and in the second case, a person from other countries is thinking of continuing his/her education in specialization courses or higher education. In the first case, the applicant needs to enroll in the authorized universities and only in his/her desired field and continue his/her education. Generally, specialization courses in Italy vary from 3 to 6 years depending on the desired field.

In the next case, the applicant must first equate his / her degree so that he / she can take specialization courses in Italy. In either case, individuals must study in a PhD degree. Because the degree of a general practitioner is considered as a master’s degree anywhere in the world.