Study Medicine in English in Italy: The Complete Guide

Hello everyone! My name is Ari, and I am a medical student at the University of Pavia, Italy. I chose to study medicine in Italy for many reasons, which I am very excited to finally sit down and discuss today. Over the years, I’ve helped thousands of people learn about Italy through this website, and hundreds more whom I’ve personally guided and taught in order to successfully pass the IMAT (International Medical Admission Test) are now studying medicine in Italy. This whole article serves as a cornerstone of ‘EnterMedSchool’ as it includes pretty much everything you need to know about studying medicine in English in Italy, as it will also refer you to essential resources on specific topics. I remember back in 2018, I was looking online and trying to find the best place for me to study medicine, I knew I didn’t want to study in my home country because the tuition fee and the selection process were just too bothersome. So, I started reading plenty of articles and listening to ideas from different people about the best schools out there.

The first thing I found online was local preparation courses that pushed me to select Eastern Europe. After further research, it turned out those schools were just pushing me to go to Eastern Europe because they got a commission from each student they sent there – and then I entered the world of admission exams and premed preparation courses – navigating through the biased and profit-motivated opinions wasn’t easy at all. I started googling and researching about more countries, maybe a country that doesn’t require crazy requirements but also has low tuition fees, a country that no one will get a cut if I actually choose it, maybe even a country that offers some sort of scholarships because I didn’t really want to ask my parents for help. After all that research, I concluded that Italy, which started having medical schools in English in 2011, is a promising country that is in urgent need of medical students and doctors, so it made available an incredible path that allows non-Italian to come and study medicine, in English, in their country, with the hope that we will decide to eventually stay there and help the system.

Learning Italian and moving to romantic Italy suddenly didn’t sound too bad. I stumbled upon a single, pretty ugly website which was the only one back then, and had cute articles and guides about Italy – I fell in love with Italy immediately, the universities were in awesome cities like Milan, Rome, Napoli! So cool! As I read I realized that Italy is where I want to be. The next step was to learn about the admission process. While contacting my local Italian embassy, I also learned about the “IMAT” exam, which is the exam I need to take to study medicine here. The process itself was actually very easy, and I even found a community of people helping one another, that I now manage myself and has garnered thousands of people! Feel free to send me a message through the chat system on the website if you want to join. With this entire experience in mind, I decided tp create this website to share past paper solutions, publish my blogs and ideas about this entire process, and maybe motivate people to join me as well!

In this article lies everything you need to know about studying medicine in Italy, the IMAT exam, the admission process, and the different cities and opportunities you will find along the way. If you relate to my story and are looking for a place to study medicine instead of your home country, this is your first step in a new direction!

So, if you’re interested in studying medicine in Italy through IMAT 2025 in English? Welcome to this comprehensive guide that expands about topics such as living costs, tuition fees, a list of all universities, and admission requirements for medical schools etc. Basically, essential information and resources to help you navigate these challenges and achieve your dream of studying medicine in Italy (or maybe just learn more about it), and things I wish I knew back then. Let’s get started!

The illustration above shows almost all medical schools that teach medicine in Italy. In the past 2 years, a few more opened; I am still waiting for student feedback before adding them to the website, as I usually don’t recommend going to fresh new courses. However, in the illustration above, you can see there are plenty of options already, from south to north Italy!

Why Should You Study Medicine in Italy 

Let’s cut straight to the chase and talk about why you should study medicine in Italy. Yes, during this guide I will also cover the negatives openly and honestly, for you to know exactly what you are getting yourself into. It might actually be the most important decision you will make, so consider each pro and con. First, let’s look at all of the positives aspects of coming to study in Italy.

Here are the benefits you should expect when studying medicine in Italy

• The lectures and slides are all in English, as well as the interactions with the professors – the studies themselves aren’t mixed with the Italian medical courses, they are a standalone course that has its own dean, professors, and structure. This is incredible as it means we have our own regulations, rights, and student organizations exclusive to us English speakers who study medicine. Unlike exchange programs or special programs mixed with non-English courses, this allows us to have our own thing, our own communities, and student rights. This might sound a bit funny, and you might be surprised that I am even mentioning it as the first positive side of Italy – but only once you get accepted and start studying here (for 6 years!) you’ll understand how important it truly is in keeping you sane under the study load. Having this structure that was designed for you allows you to not get lost in the sea of Italians, the culture, and the chaotic life around you.
• Italian medical schools are globally recognized and have several hundred years of experience – Italy’s universities are some of the world’s most authentic and time-honored institutions, highly ranked on several websites. So if you want to specialize in countries outside of Europe, like the US for example, you are able to take an exam called the “USMLE” (which is the US licensing exam), and specialize there since they recognize the schools in Italy! This also works in the vast majority of countries in the world, not only in Europe.
• Tuition fees for public universities in Italy vary due to different aspects – some universities calculate tuition fees through a document called “ISEE”, which measures the prospective student’s financial and economic state. Fees usually range from about 156 to 4,700 euros per year for foreign students. Other universities use a flat-rate system, dividing students into brackets according to their country of origin. Still, most of these universities’ fees do not exceed 5,000 euros annually. For private universities, tuition is approximately 3,000 to 35,000 euros. It pretty much means that, on average, students pay 1-2k per year for tuition – this is extremely affordable for non-EU students who come here to Italy to study. Let me give you an example: a non-French student studying medicine in France, for example, will probably pay around 10-15k per year, while a resident will not pay a tuition fee (or a very low one, if they are eligible). So unlike other EU countries that offer scholarships only to residents, Italy offers it to everyone – which is incredible!
• Living expenses – even major Italian cities are fairly affordable. If you compare the expenses of living in Italy to cities in other countries such as US, Tel Aviv, Paris, or London, including the monthly rent, the prices are far better.
• Public transportation is pretty solid – most Italians don’t like transportation in Italy, but I never understood why. Yes, they have many strikes, and the trains are late many times, but overall, they work rather well, and the system is improving with time. For example, here in Pavia, we recently got completely new trains and routes directly to Milan in about 20 minutes; it used to take 45 minutes! Moreover, there are many small airports with really good prices to travel inside Italy and between European countries, so vacations here are really easy and affordable! Please note that this section appears again in the “cons” segment of this article; you will understand why later on.
• The admission process is fair – unlike many countries, a 200 IQ and studying 16 hours per day isn’t mandatory to pass the admission test process. Yes, the IMAT exam is challenging, but if you put in the effort – you pass, and it’s completely attainable.
• Many exam chances, and you don’t get kicked out if you fail – that’s probably one of the more important aspects of medical schools in Italy. In other countries, for example Poland, if you don’t pass exams until a certain date you will get kicked out of school regardless of whether you are a 1st year or a 6th year who’s about to graduate. This doesn’t happen in Italy. Take me for example. I took 2 years off (I just didn’t take exams for two years) to work full-time on an IMAT preparation course I host through this website, which you should check out (a completely shameless plug, I know), but my university didn’t really care, I just became a “repetente” – repeating student and now I am a 4th year (instead of 6th) because I stayed 4th for 2 years. In many universities in Italy attendance is also not very strict, while some professors want full attendance, others don’t really mind, so you can really balance personal life and studies without the need to be at school for the entire day, and then study during the night.
• Great study-life balance – Italians love their breaks and holidays, and honestly, I respect them a lot for that. People here study very hard in general, but when they take a break, they really cherish it. For example, most stores have 1-2 hours of break in the middle of the day, including governmental offices. They take a break, eat something, have fun, and go back to work – officially – that’s really awesome. The same things go with school: you have specific times for breaks and to go to the cafeteria in the middle of the day, you don’t study on Saturday and Sundays, Friday is usually a shorter day, Christmas vacation is like 3 weeks, winter break here in Pavia is from June to October (While you have the ability to take exams also in July and September, which is very helpful, I am not sure if other universities have the same, but they may have something similar because by law you have many appelli (appello = exam session) to take subjects.
• Wonderful scholarships – There are different regional organizations, usually funded partially by the government and by donors, as well as the European Union, that provide scholarships to students. You can get between 4 and 7 thousand EUR (yes, get) per year if you are eligible, as well as free food at the Mensa (the cafeteria). I never heard of a country that pays students to study just to show you how invested the Italians are in bringing more brains and doctors to their country. I recently checked the statistics of doctors in Italy, and around 30% of the current doctors are above the age of 65! That just goes to show the current situation in Italy and why new medicine courses in English continue to open every year.

The list above is only part of the things I personally love about Italy. I’m sure other students and people will agree, even as they experience Italy in different ways.

Now that we have reviewed the good side of Italy and its perks, let’s discuss the different choices you have!

Medical Schools in English in Italy 2025

There are many medical schools in Italy. However, as of 2025, 16 of those schools are specifically for medicine in English. In this section, I will not delve into the specifics of those schools, on this site you can find each university has its own page with media, past IMAT scores, and so much more. Instead, I’ll talk about the process of choosing a university in Italy, the factors you need to consider for each university, how to sift through the mountains of information you have online about each university, and eventually how to reach a final decision.

Private Medical Schools in Italy 2025

• UniCamillus Medical School
• San Raffaele University
• HUMANITAS University
• MEDTEC School
• Cattolica University
• University Campus Bio-Medico

Public Medical Schools in Italy 2025

• University of Turin
• University of Milan (Statale)
• University of Pavia
• University of Milan (Bicocca)
• University of Bari
• University of Bologna
• University of Padova
• University of Tor Vergata
• University of La Sapienza
• University of Parma
• University of Messina
• University of Napoli Vanvitelli
• University of Napoli Federico II
• University of Siena (Dentistry)
• University of Ancona
• University of Catania
• University of Cagliari

Each of the universities above has its own page on the website (hopefully, I will finish the rest in the upcoming months), so you can click and read more about all of them!

Which Italian University Should I Choose to Study Medicine at?

This is probably the most important question you are reading this article for! Nice, so you settled on Italy. You fell in love with the culture and the idea of living here for 6+ years and studying medicine, maybe even doing a residency here as well. Now what? Now, it’s important to review all of the options and choose your future university wisely.

When I chose Pavia, it was also the first university I stumbled upon. Most students kind of get fixated on the first university they hear about and then never let go. They get invested, and can’t really shake off the idea of going there specifically. I always wondered why it happens, I never had a student who after choosing or learning about a specific university I could change their mind, we just seem to get attached for the first university we learn about.

Anyway, back to the topic. So when I was learning about Pavia for the first time, I knew it had a big international community, the school is well known, the city is affordable, and there were many people from my home country, which is awesome! I also found one student there who was willing to help me privately, which got me even more attached to the city. Since then, I didn’t even want to learn about other cities, and when other IMAT candidates challenged this decision, I felt the need to protect Pavia’s name and tell everyone that “no, it’s a good university, I am sure I will do just fine” – even without passing the admission exam yet! My point is – try not to be me, and choose a medical school in Italy considering the following factors:

1. This is the place you are going to live in for the next good chunk of your life – don’t choose a university based on the name, ranking or prestige, don’t choose it based on just a single student’s opinion – great, maybe that student is a huge nerd that just had a good exam and overall had a great week, so they are recommending you this specific course. Who knows, maybe he doesn’t know what will be in the upcoming years – try to find as many opinions and students as possible to talk to.
2. Choose the city you want to live in – if you don’t want to live in a small city, then don’t come to Pavia, if you are afraid of chaos and don’t want to live around too many people – then don’t go to Milan. Choosing a university that is against your character just because of ranking, name, or a friend who recommended it is not something you can allow yourself to do. Think about it – you need to stay sane for 6 years.
3. Many people see the admission exam as the first and final step, and then once they become medical students, it will be “I will just go through whatever they throw at me, don’t worry, I am already a medical student, I passed the hard part which was getting accepted”. I think this is a really bad approach to this – The journey starts when you pass the exam; the IMAT is a small exam compared to what you will face in medical school. The exams are tough, they take months to prepare for, and some schools are more demanding than others. Similarly, don’t choose “worse” schools with lower cut-offs just because you want to become a medical student, and what comes after doesn’t matter – it matters a lot.
4. Budget – choose a city based on your budget, as well as long-term scholarship opportunities. Talk to students in the city and make sure that the scholarships are accessible not only during the first year but also in cases such as when you can’t take all exams or when an emergency might happen.
5. Social life – as I mentioned before – if you love social life, nightlife, and going out, you might want to consider going to the bigger cities such as Rome or Milan and not choosing a university just because of the ranking. It’s better to go to a “worse” university and have a great life-study balance than going to a place where you will just sit at home and rot.
6. Ranking – the ranking is pretty weird in Europe, I wouldn’t take it too seriously. Eventually, it talks about the research conducted and students’ graduation, which means it doesn’t really reflect the level of education or lectures in that school. As a general rule of thumb, just stay away from the south. So, schools that are north of Rome are usually good enough, and each has its own pros and cons (which you can look at the individual university pages), schools that are in the south are usually pretty bad, from my honest experience and testimonials I got from so many of my past students. Just stay away from the South if you can, I personally wouldn’t want to study there, and I don’t recommend that my students study medicine there. There are plenty of preparation courses that push their students to choose the southern unis just so they can say the admission rates were very high – well, of course they are high, nobody wants to study there, so they get accepted.
7. Minimum admission score – some schools like Bologna and Milano IMS are super competitive – you don’t want to risk trying to get accepted there unless you have a really good reason to – you know the material perfectly, and your simulations prove that you significantly score above last year admission’s cutoff – be real with yourself, don’t choose a uni that is too hard and then waste a year, but also don’t choose a uni that is too easy and then get upset with yourself that you could have gotten accepted to the uni you actually wanted.

The Only Way You Should Compare All Medical Schools in Italy (Updated For 2025)

Now that we understand the benefits of studying medicine in English in Italy and the opportunities that exist there, let’s talk about the differences between schools; how to recognize those differences, and make a proper list of features you should be looking for in schools.

The vast majority of my past students, when they started the process, had just a few factors in mind to consider: “The Ranking”, “The IMAT Score”, and that’s it! When I took the IMAT exam and chose Pavia, I had the same exact idea in mind. I wish someone would have shared with me more factors to consider that I, someone who never before visited Italy, couldn’t even grasp the significance of. Now, after years in Italy, I am here to share all of them with you, so you can make the best decision for yourself!

Let’s discuss the factors you should use to compare medical schools in Italy, from the most trivial to things that you probably didn’t think about:

1. The location of the university: maybe the most important thing to consider is the university’s location. It’s not only about the split between the south and north where the weather and climate are significantly different, but also – how far is the campus itself from the center where students usually live and go out? Do you need to take a 50-minute bus from the center (like at the University of Turin, for example), or can you just walk 2-3 minutes to school (like here at the University of Pavia) even if you live there? When searching for a university online, it will show you the main hall address, but the medical school lectures aren’t held on the main campus, they usually either have a dedicated campus somewhere else around the city (sometimes even pretty far away like in the university of Parma and Turin as I mentioned), and sometimes right next to the center itself. So when choosing a university, also make sure to look up the apartments that can be found around other students and the campuses, so you will understand how far everything is from each other and the public transportation in that city. A viable option is to live a bit far from others but have a bike or live next to the bus station, then study with friends at the library or campus instead of staying at home so you can have a social life while paying less rent. In addition to that, here are a few more points to consider:
   • Proximity to the airport. (check destinations and prices)
   • Public transportation, prices, and subscriptions as students.
   • Where do most students live – is it safe there?
   • How long will I spend commuting daily instead of studying?
   • If you eat Halal or Kosher – where can I find this kind of store around me – is it close by?
2. The ranking of the university: I’ll be totally honest, unless the ranking difference is so significant (like when you compare the universities of the south to the north), it has little to no effect on the level of education. So when we compare the northern medical schools in Italy (as well as Rome, which I consider North at this point), checking the ranking that varies slightly between each is pretty much useless and might mislead you into choosing something that doesn’t fit you at all, just because it’s the top 5 in Italy. Yes, The medical schools of Milano IMS, Bologna, and even Pavia are all in the top 5 in Italy – that’s great! But how different are they from each other? Pavia is a small town, with barely anyone living here, while Bologna and Milan are the most chaotic cities you will probably ever visit in Italy. The ranking is mainly a general score for how much research the uni conducts, the number of students who graduate, etc. It’s a number set based on all of the courses and subjects you have at the same university, but it’s not really specific to our case. So why would you rely on a random number that doesn’t reflect the quality of what you are looking for?
3. Cost of living: As I mentioned earlier, medical schools in Italy set their tuition fee for students based on their financial situation – a very fair and generous system. They also often allow you to get scholarships (which you can rely on more in the north; in the south they have lesser budgets and it’s harder to get scholarships there, unfortunately). Beyond the tuition fee and scholarships, you should also consider the cost of living. You should expect to pay pretty high rent in big cities such as Turin, Milano, Bologna, and Rome, sometimes even x2-2.5 more than in the south or smaller universities such as Pavia or Bari. When it comes to food, it’s all about being smart. You can go to the market once a week and get crazy good deals! Or go to the big store in the same city and pay 30-40% more for the same amount of food. So, the food prices are more or less the same around Italy, but nightlife and social life could be significantly more expensive in the bigger cities.
4. The population and size of the city: The type of the city will have a tremendous impact on your experience. For example, the universities of Pavia, Bari, Padova, and Milano Bicocca (Bergamo) can all be found in fairly small cities – some are even towns, which means that there is not much to do and the population won’t speak English as well – this is crucial because it will allow you to integrate better, and have better hospital rotations in cities where the doctors and residence that will walk you through your medical school years. Pavia, for example, is pretty small. The population can be divided into young people, students, and old pensioners. The old people (usually the patients you will care for in the hospitals) don’t speak English, but this is what you should expect everywhere in Italy. However, the doctors and residents there mostly speak English, since Pavia is considered very well-known for specific types of residencies, and also because of the proximity to Milan. In the southern universities, they not only don’t speak English, but they also speak in specific Italian dialects, which will be very difficult to understand. Sometimes, I hear stories of students who graduate without learning a word in any dialect because, at some point, they just give up. You should expect the doctors at the universities of Rome, Milano, Bologna, and other big northern cities to speak English well. It’s an important factor to consider when you have hospital rotations with these doctors, and it will give you better opportunities to gain clinical knowledge.
5. The number of non-EU seats: I usually tell my students not to think fewer seats will mean a higher score and a more competitive university. However, it is a crucial factor to consider because:
   • Fewer seats mean the admission score could suddenly jump pretty high just because of 3-4 students who scored really high. We usually see it for universities such as Milano IMS, Rome La Sapienza, and Bologna.
   • Less non-EU students means less social life – if you don’t speak Italian, finding yourself in an Italian friend group is nearly impossible. The Italians are wonderful people, but many students choose the IMAT as plan B and don’t really speak English that well, so they prefer to stay close to other Italians. For courses teaching medicine in Italian, for example, they usually offer 1-2 non-EU seats (compared to 40 here in the Pavia English course). I know many of them, and they all told me that in terms of social life if they had the chance to retroactively take the IMAT instead, they would 100% do it. – This is a huge factor to consider; you need to do your own research and learn which universities have a solid community of people from your home country; for example, Pavia has a solid Turkish, Israeli, and Iranian community (but this you can find everywhere because they score the highest). I know I am probably repeating myself when it comes to social life – but some people don’t really understand how vital it is to have a solid social life in a place where you are going to work hard for 6 years; social life will keep you sane, and motivated to study.
6. Erasmus Opportunities! : This is actually something that many students don’t even know! In Europe, you can spend a year (or even more) in other countries, taking exams in a different medical school and getting the credits for them. It allows you to spend time in a different country and have a great experience during your 6 years of medical school. The thing is, every university has different agreements with different schools, and on their websites, you could find a full list of all schools they allow their student to have exchanges with; you should look it up and maybe even plan ahead for this kind of stuff – it’s a fantastic experience.
7. Calendar and Attendance: In Italy, attendance is 100% mandatory on paper. However, in reality, some universities have fewer lessons than others, while some also don’t really mind checking attendance. Why is it important? Universities such as Parma, for example, have lessons from 8 in the morning all the way to 6 in the evening! Imagine having 10 hours of lectures and then needing to study the material independently. However, in other schools, like here in Pavia, we have 3-4 hours of lectures per day, and in some, the professors don’t really mind for attendance; they offer students who miss lectures different ways to gain the hours they missed such as coming to their hospital ward and spend the hours over there learning the material practically by seeing a patient with similar pathologies based on what they study – which I personally find really cool!
   • It’s crucial because some students prefer to study independently, and mandatory attendance and a really long study day can burn them out.
   • While other students would prefer long days, to just study everything they need to know during the lectures. I prefer to study independently and work on my projects in between (perhaps I am writing this ultimate-guide as an excuse to avoid studying cardiology…)
8. Minimum admission score: Bologna and Milano IMS scores were always high, which makes it seem to people like they are the best universities, but as discussed earlier, that’s not necessarily true. Some of my past students wanted to choose one of those two just because of how competitive they were, it made them think that choosing the most competitive university would undoubtedly mean they also compete for the best. The opposite of this also happens. Many students choose universities with the lowest scores (like Messina, Napoli, Bari) with the hope of just becoming medical students regardless of where – they are usually able to pass the exam, but then they try to transfer or drop out because they don’t like the quality of the school.
   • Take simulations closer to July, when you should register for the IMAT and choose a university – choose one based on your score predictions.
   • Be open-minded until the last moment, and don’t choose a university you might have no chance of getting accepted to because the score is too high.

Time For Full Transparency – All of The Negative Sides To Expect (Why You SHOULDN’T Study Medicine in Italy!)

Alright, I promised you I would be real, so in this section I will list all the issues in studying medicine in Italy. Yes, I do sell courses that help you study medicine in Italy, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I promise you that I will not push Italy on you as other companies do; many try to sell you Italy like it’s a dream without any flaws. No medical school is perfect. If you want to study medicine in Europe, Italy is probably one of the better options, especially considering the prices and scholarship opportunities, but here is what I (and my friends) don’t like about Italian medical schools (after 5 years of being here and having my students studying here as well):

1. The organization is a mess: exams and lessons can be scheduled at the last moment without notice, it’s very difficult to coordinate multiple things simultaneously, and overall the organization in most Italian universities is really lacking. I am not sure why, but luckily, once you have a solid student organization (like we have here in Pavia), the communication with the professors become much easier. But yes, it’s definitely a thing to consider before studying in Italy and choosing a specific university.
2. Dialects of Italian with patients: You open Duolingo and see a 750-day streak; nice, good for you! However, you just met a patient from Sicily who came to the clinic here in Pavia (real story, by the way), and you didn’t understand a single word she was saying. You ask the local doctor if it’s because your Italian is bad or maybe the patient has neurological problems that lead to problems with motor movement, comprehension, or speaking – he roasts you. He tells you that she just uses another dialect. (Great! Another patient that I will not understand at all). You break the Duolingo streak.
3. Public transportation is hell sometimes: for me, someone from Pavia who only relies on it not during rush hours and business days, as well as using it to take some time off and travel, the problems aren’t really noticeable. But my friends from all over Italy, especially in the south but also here in the Lombardia area (So Pavia, Milano, Bergamo) and Bologna, share a similar experience, if you rely on traveling using public transportation every day, it will fail you from time to time, get delayed, canceled, and will have plenty of strikes almost every week at this point.
4. Accommodation is almost impossible:  When you pass the IMAT exam and start studying medicine in Italy, you will most likely find yourself in an Airbnb or some sort of housing until you find accommodation. It is extremely difficult to find a good place, especially when you don’t speak Italian and have to rely on local agencies, which may try to exploit or scam you.
5. Clinical experience isn’t the best: this part is mainly up to you. If you learn Italian really well and “sneak” into as many rotations as possible, befriend residents and doctors and find your place in the hospital, your experience could be great – but if you follow the default the university provides, it won’t be the best. The Italian medical schools are known to mostly focus on theory and memorization and have less hands-on experience, just like other European countries such as France – where you are thrown to rotations already during the first year to face the reality of the profession. So consider this as well; if it’s important to you to gain as much clinical experience as possible, try choosing a bigger city with more doctors and wards and more options to find your place.

How Do I Get Even Accepted Into An Italian Medical School?

This is the entire point of ‘EnterMedSchool’! I’m here to help you through the process of taking the IMAT, the admission exam for medicine in English in Italy! I already have plenty of guides, free study materials, and courses fully dedicated to the IMAT exam. If you are completely new here and this is the first article you read, here are a few posts I recommend checking out so you can get a better understanding of the admission exam, process, and opportunities available.

In short, you must register online for the IMAT exam after translating your previous diplomas into Italian and get in the next IMAT in September 2025. After that, you will need to wait around a month for the results, and then once you pass, register online and come to Italy! (Or issue a visa and then come after you get accepted). Click the articles that I linked above to get a much better idea of how to register for the IMAT and which documents you need to have.

What Happens After You Graduate from An Italian Medical School?

You are officially a doctor as soon as you submit your thesis and graduate! It means you have your M.D diploma (medical doctor) – and now you can choose if you want to practice medicine or continue to pursue a specialty. For example, if you decide to stay in Italy, you must take an “SSM” exam, similar to the IMAT, regarding the scoring system. You can choose different hospitals and specialties to compete for; some specialties are really easy to get into, usually surgery-related, while others (that can be privatized like cardio, neuro, ophthalmo, dermato, etc.) are very hard to get into. It’s your choice if you want to stay for your specialty in Italy or take your MD and do it elsewhere in Europe or even worldwide. You can take the USMLE and do it in the US, return to your home country, or go to a different European country such as Germany or the Netherlands (which are pretty popular options among graduates). The important part is that unlike other European countries, such as France, where you need to do an internship for 3-4 years, and only then do you get your MD, in Italy, you get it right after you graduate. So it’s really up to you what to do after you graduate. I will write more about the SSM once I take it (hopefully soon), and then in a few years, you can come back to this website and get more info about it.

In Conclusion: Is Medicine In Italy For You?

Now you should have a better idea of studying medicine in Italy, the different options, and the pros and cons. I hope I was able to help you go through everything in this guide. It took me a long time to write everything (instead of studying) and put to paper all I think and feel about Italy, but it was very important to me to do it in the most transparent way possible so you can have a realistic idea of what to expect.

If you have any questions and you need some help finding your own university, studying for the IMAT, or just want to chat, make sure to hop on a live chat with me using the chat system on the website – I am available most of the times (unless I am studying or working, but even then I will probably answer). So don’t hesitate to reach out to me and ask me anything you need. I am constantly updating all articles on the website to match the latest news about the IMAT, new medical schools, and more.

I hope I was able to help, and I wish you the best of luck!

See you soon in Italy,

Ari.

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