Medical School in Italy is on average 6 years comprised of a number of preclinical and clinical years, usually with a 3 and 3 split. As it is an MD degree students are expected to spend at least 1 of 12 semesters focused on writing a thesis they must present and defend at the end of the 6th year to graduate.
How Long is Medical School? (In General)
The length of time for a medical university changes from country to country ranging from 4 – 6 years, and also depends on the type of degree (MBBS vs MD). For example in countries where it is a post-graduate degree such as in the US, medical school will only last 4 years, whereas in a country like UK where you can do it undergraduate, but it is not an MD it will last about 5 years.
Italian medical universities (similar to most European universities) offer an undergraduate MD programme that lasts on average 6 years, but what exactly does this mean?
What is an Undergraduate Medical Degree?
Undergraduate refers to the fact that this degree can be completed straight out of high school with no other bachelors degree or equivalent required. Most countries in Europe including Italy offer medicine as an undergraduate degree meaning there are no prerequisites outside of high school to apply.
In countries like America and Canada, universities require a previously completed undergraduate degree (ie – a bachelors) with a certain number of prerequisite subjects that need to be fulfilled.
Considering these students will have completed the basic sciences in their prerequisite classes, their medical degrees only take 4 years on average.
Why are Some Undergraduate Medical Degrees 5 years?
Other countries such as the UK & India more commonly offer MBBS degrees which are the equivalent of a masters degree and do not require an academic dissertation that needs to be defended in front of a committee. These degrees on average take 5 years instead.
MD programmes are on the level of a doctorate (PhD equivalent), and are more geared towards academic careers. Students are required to prepare, present, and defend an original piece of research work referred to as a thesis. These programmes on average take 6 years.
Are There Exceptions to Completing a Medical Degree in 6 Years in Italy?
There are of course exceptions to each case, and in Italy it is actually possible to graduate earlier than 6 years however this is an incredibly rare thing to do and requires outstanding academic excellence, and copious international medical experience via Erasmus as a medical school.
Having a previous undergraduate degree regardless of requirement of it can allow subject & exam exemptions to skip the first few years of medical school.
For example if a student has a previous undergraduate bachelors in Physiology, they can get the credits from their previous university recognised allowing them to be exempt from certain exams, and skipping a year or two. So when they enrol into the MD programme they start in 3rd year. This is also a similar process to transferring to an Italian Medical School.
However for a student that is fresh out of high school with no other degrees, medical school in Italy lasts 6 years.
10 thoughts on “How Long is Medical School in Italy?”
Can you please right a more detailed articl3 on the difference between an MBBS and an MD. I have tried looking at other resources however they say that there is no difference but that is in terms of America vs the UK. I’m not completely sure what it meand in European terms
Hey Juliana, this is actually on our list of upcoming articles! We’re just finishing up our February exam session before we start putting out regular content again 🙂
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Can you write more on how it works to transfer credits from another course? I have completed 4 years of pharmacy, how could i transfer the credits from the subjects i already did?
We’re currently writing a massive transfer article that will cover every university in Italy that has an English programme. However the gist of it is that you will need to apply to a medical school of your choice, and then make a “degree shortening request” to get your credits recognised.
Hy Serra,
Can you please right a more detailed article on the difference between an MBBS and an MD. I have tried looking at other resources however they say that there is no difference but that is in terms of America vs the UK. I’m not completely sure what it mean in European terms
It’s quite a complicated topic, but I’ll try to find time to do so!
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Hi Sera, I am from India and doing my bachelor in biotechnology now and I am in 1st year of my programe. Can I apply for IMAT 2025 in middle of university.
Hello, yes, your current studies do not prevent you from applying for the IMAT.