Admission and Eligibility for Medical Studies in Italy

Italy provides six-year single-cycle medicine programs in medicine and surgery that are globally recognized. The application procedure for medical programs in Italy generally begins in November or December. Italy has 17 universities that offer medical programs. Among the 17 universities, 13 are public universities. These universities are highly ranked and have received accreditation from renowned organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Medical Council (NMC), and others.

The Italian universities’ acceptance rate is highly competitive. The first step in Italy’s medical application procedure is to pass either the International Medical Admissions Test (IMAT) or the university’s entrance exam. Public universities favor IMAT which is conducted by the by Italian Ministry of education, universities, and research (MIUR), and do not conduct their own admission exam. Private universities administer their own admissions tests, and applications for medicine programs can be submitted without taking the IMAT. Thus, private universities are a preferred choice for international students. This article discusses the admission and eligibility for medical studies in Italy at popular universities. 

Admission and eligibility for Medical studies in Italy: Overview

Rankings of popular Medical universities in Italy

Entry requirements at popular Medical universities in Italy

University of Bologna

The single-cycle medicine and surgery program at the University of Bologna offers a limited number of seats. The admissions are offered on the basis of the national admission test by the MIUR. 

Following are the eligibility criteria for admission

• Must hold a secondary school diploma or an equivalent educational qualification (12 years of education)
• Should clear the IMAT examination
• Must satisfy the Additional Learning Requirement (ALR) i.e., basic knowledge of chemistry and biochemistry, cellular molecular biology and genetics, medical physics

Students who do not fulfill ALR are still admitted provided they complete the supplementary activities offered by the university in their first year of studies.

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

The admission process in Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore begins in December with the registration for the entrance test. The entrance test is held in April. 

The admission exam is a computer-based written exam that is entirely in English. The test contains 65 multiple-choice questions with five answer options for each question.

Students must ensure they meet the following basic criteria

• Must be at least 17 years old 
• Must be in the final year of high school at the time of application or have already completed high school
• Must show proof of 12 years of education

Humanitas University

Humanitas University’s registration for the entrance exam begins in December. The entrance exam takes place in April.

The language of the entrance exam is English. A total of sixty (60) multiple-choice questions must be answered by the candidates. There will be four possible responses, but only one is correct. The test can be taken from the comfort of one’s own home.

Entry requirements for Humanitas University are

• Valid high school diploma (Foreign high school diplomas must be accompanied by a Declaration of Value issued by the Italian diplomatic authorities)
• At least 12 years of schooling

Vita-Salute San Raffaele University

The student must have proof of twelve years of schooling and fill the online application form with the application fee of USD 56.

Vita-Salute San Raffaele University states the following admission requirements:

• High School diploma*
• Student must have completed at least 12 years of schooling

*Foreign high school diplomas must be accompanied by a Declaration of Value issued by the Italian diplomatic authorities.

Unicamillus- St. Camillus University of Health Sciences

The admissions process at Unicamillus University begins in November with the registration for the entrance exam. The entrance exam takes place in November.

The admissions test UCAT is a combination of multiple-choice written exams and a speaking test. It is a computer-based test that lasts for 2 hours. It is divided into five sections as listed below. 

• Verbal reasoning (44 questions)
• Quantitative reasoning (36 questions)
• Decision-making (29 questions)
• Abstract reasoning (55 questions)

General eligibility criteria to study Medicine in Italy

In order to study medicine in Italy, you must have knowledge in physics, chemistry, and biology. This knowledge will be tested in IMAT or university entrance tests. NEET scores may be a requirement for Indian students who later want to practice in India. Medical courses by private universities that are taught in English require students to take the IELTS or TOEFL to demonstrate their linguistic competence. For public universities, a B2 level of English language proficiency or higher is required, which is tested during the IMAT exam itself.

Students in their final year of secondary school can also apply to Italian medical programs offered by public and private Italian universities. Their admission will be finalized after they provide a passing certificate at the time of enrolling.

Admission procedure and required documents

Admission procedure

• For public universities students should submit their application via the Universitaly platform. For private universities they can fill out the application form on the university’s website and submit it or use Gyanberry application Services
• Apply for the course of your choice by submitting all of your original documentation.
• Appear for the entrance test
• Selected students will receive offer letter from the university 
• Pay the application fees
• Apply for your student visa as soon as you receive confirmation of your admission to the medical program.

Required documents

• Passport 
• Birth certificate
• Official transcripts 
• Photocopy of invitation letter
• Passport size photographs
• Report of COVID test
• Bank receipt
• Statement of purpose 

Admissions to public universities are restricted and require taking IMAT examinations, whereas private universities conduct their own examinations and offer a decent number of seats to international students. To be eligible to apply for admission, students must have a high school diploma (10+2). Students from last year can also apply, but their admission will be provisional.

The annual tuition for the medical programs is around 3,000 to 4,000 EUR for public universities and 16,000-22,000 EUR for private universities. Thus the cost to study medicine in Italy is a lot cheaper when compared to the cost of studying medicine in Ireland and other European and American destinations. The cost of living is almost 50% less when compared to the cost of living in top European study destinations. To know more about the admission process in Italian medical schools, contact Gyanberry to receive expert guidance. 

*Tuition fees in EUR are converted to USD at the exchange rate of 1 EUR = 1.02 USD. Exchange rates are subject to periodic change.