Sapienza University of Rome
La Sapienza is a popular, very highly regarded, landmark of Italian medical heritage. Founded in 1303, it still reigns as one of the largest European universities to date. In 2021, the university had just over 115,000 students with over 10,000 of them being international.
Since its foundation, Sapienza University has constantly played a significant role in Italian history merging centuries of tradition with cutting-edge didactic activities, research and innovation, and thus provides top quality education and research opportunities.
The main campus is a real city within the city located in the heart of Rome with over 11 faculties, 3 hospitals and 18 museums. Sapienza University is an extraordinary place for students and teachers from around the world to meet, exchange and develop new ideas and philosophies.
Main Location(s) of La Sapienza's IMS Course
Almost all of the lectures for the IMS course takes place in Sapienza’s main campus called Citta universitaria. It is located practically in the centre of Rome and is easily accessible by dozens of buses, 2 trams, and has its own metro stop for the main teaching hospital Policlinico Umberto I.
Hospitals of La Sapienza Medicine in English
Policlinico Umberto I
Policlinico Umberto I is the 2nd largest hospital in Italy, with 1200 beds, right after the hospital of Bologna University.
Construction of the hospital first began in 1888 and today covers a large area of 300 square kilometers that includes 48 buildings within the original square perimeter, equal to two kilometers, in addition to eight external structures.
The hospital has its own metro stop, as well as 2 trams that stop right outside of its gates. It’s served by many different buses. While it is a large and historic hospital, it can be quite difficult to navigate around.
Sant'Andrea
While almost all hospital activities take place in the main teaching hospital Policlinico Umberto I, in 5th year some classes, as well as some practical activities, take place in the Sant’Andrea campus located outside of the city. The latter hospital is much more beautiful and bigger in size, and it thankfully avoids much of the hustle and noise as it’s much further away from the main campus.
Number of Seats in La Sapienza English Course
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
EU |
38 |
38 |
35 |
38 |
35 |
35 |
|
Non-EU |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
Past IMAT Points of La Sapienza
| 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
EU |
40.4 |
46.7 |
43.6 |
38.5 |
40.2 |
43.6 |
|
Non-EU |
53.1 |
42.3 |
44.3 |
44 |
39.1 |
– |
Why Choose this University?
Everytime we have a guest on our “Medicine in Italy Podcast” we’ll update this section for why they think you should go to their university!
Rome is a vibrant and alive city especially as one of the most historic and beautiful places in the world. It houses a city population the size of some small countries, and is guaranteed to have something for every type of person 24 hours a day 7 days a week, whether that’s night life, board game nights, museums, biological parks etc. Sapienza is one of the most established English courses, and is a behemoth of research. It’s an old and huge university, with many opportunities. (Serra)
Fees in La Sapienza University
At La Sapienza, student fees depend on country of origin and family income. Italian students pay between €156 and €3000 based on a fiscal summary called ISEE which proves annual family income. International students may pay either a flat rate of €500 or €1100 depending on whether they are from a developing or developed country. International students can also submit an ISEE which can further reduce their rates to €156 depending on the level of income.
The university also has a Fee Calculator on their website to help you estimate fees in a few clicks.
Scholarships & Grants for La Sapienza University
La Sapienza has a variety of scholarship and grant options which depend on your income or academic achievements. Most options also generally affect the amount of tuition owed using your own ISEE corrente.
Recently, the university stated that “the consequences of the Covid-19 emergency have significantly changed the contributive capacity of many families.” As such, from July 21st, 2020, the board of directors extended the breadth of many grant policies; the full details can be found here.
Aside from income-based fee reductions, the top 5 students of each class are awarded a small fee reduction, irrespective of family income. The university offers many Borse di collaborazione, which entail stipends for students in return for some work. This is a topic we mention in our recent video about working part time in Italy while studying medicine.
The confirmed grants and benefits for the Academic Year 2021-22 are:
- Family Bonus – Reductions for all family members enrolled at La Sapienza. Until last year, the reductions were limited to only siblings.
- Changing Programs – The changing of programs is free during the year of enrollment if no exams have been taken.
- Exemptions for students with certified disabilities.
- Payment of a fixed fee of 30 euros per year instead of the enrollment fees for students who are covered by the facilities provided for in art.
Academic Calendar of La Sapienza
During the academic year, holidays are generally reserved for Christmas and Easter. No educational activities (lectures, exams etc.) will be scheduled during these periods. For Christmas, it’s usually from the last Friday before Dec. 25th, until the first Monday after the new year in January. The Easter break is flexible and changes every academic year as the holiday does itself, but generally it occurs around mid-March to mid-April for about one week.
There are also fixed bank holidays peppered throughout the year, with August being the only month the university is officially closed and absolutely no activities taking place. Below you can find the Sapienza academic calendar of 2021-2022 to see the typical academic year.
La Sapienza Class Timetables
Timetables depend on students’ enrolled academic year, as clinical experience impacts it a lot. In pre-clinical years, classes generally start at 9am Monday through Friday, and end around 2pm (this has recently changed post-Covid lockdown depending on each particular semester). There might be some supplemental lab activities that take place in the evenings from 3-4 pm until 5-6pm.
Lessons constitute most of the afternoons for the first year, with each subsequent year having moderately increased daily obligations during the mornings as well.
During 4th year, students are expected to go into the hospital 1 full day a week for the 1st semester, with the other days following the normal structure of 9am – 2pm. In 2nd semester students will start going into the hospital 1-2 mornings a week with lectures resuming a little later on those days. Onwards of 5th year, students will be in the hospital every morning, either for their clerkships (open for students up to date with exams) or to work on their thesis. During these semesters lectures are usually from 2-7pm.
Exams in La Sapienza
Exams in La Sapienza follow the Italian standards. Almost all of them are oral exams, with written ones only acting as a prerequisite to do the oral portion of the exam, which determines your final grade.
In February, June, July and September there are no classes and only exams. Across these 4 months students have a minimum of 7 dates for each subject to attempt the exam. Sometimes professors will allow an “extraordinary” session in December or April which provides students an additional attempt. A student may reject their score to attempt it on another date. There is a more detailed article you can read here.
Syllabus Structure in La Sapienza Medicine
Below is a more detailed breakdown of the course and organisation for current course syllabi – by year as well as by semester. La Sapienza‘s syllabus focuses on cementing fundamental knowledge with compounding studies; subjects like anatomy, biochemistry and physiology are the building blocks of every year.
1st Semester:
- Human Anatomy (I)
- Biology and Genetics (I)
- Chemistry and Introduction to Biochemistry
- Medical Physics
- Basic Medical Scientific Methods (I)
2nd Semester:
- Biochemistry
- Biology and Genetics (II)
- Histology and Embryology
- Basic Medical Scientific Methods (II)
1st Semester:
- Human Anatomy (II)
- Biochemistry (II)
- Human Physiology (I)
- Pre-Clinical Scientific Methods (I)
2nd Semester:
- Human Anatomy (III)
- Human Physiology (II)
- Pre-Clinical Scientific Methods (II)
- Microbiology
1st Semester:
- Human Physiology (III)
- Immunology and Immunopathology
- Laboratory Medicine (I)
- Clinical Scientific Methods (I)
- Pathology and Pathophysiology (I)
2nd Semester:
- Laboratory Medicine (II)
- Clinical Scientific Methods (II)
- Pathology and Pathophysiology (II)
1st Semester:
- Pathological Anatomy and Associations with Clinical Anatomy (I)
- Applied Medical Scientific Methods (I)
- Applied Pathology I – Diseases of Respiratory System and Cardiovascular System
- Applied Pathology II – Diseases of Kidney and Urinary System
2nd Semester:
- Pathological Anatomy and Associations with Clinical Anatomy (II)
- Diagnostic Imaging
- Pharmacology I and Toxicology
- Applied Medical Scientific Methods (II)
- Applied Pathology III – Diseases of the Digestive System, Endocrine System and Metabolism
1st Semester:
- Pharmacology II and Toxicology
- Diseases of the Nervous System
- Medical-Scientific Methods: Public Health (IX)
- Applied Pathology (IV)
- Applied Pathology (V)
2nd Semester:
- Internal Medicine and General Surgery (I)
- Dermatology and Plastic Surgery
- Scientific English (V)
- Orthopaedics, Traumatology and Rheumatology
- Diseases of the Sensory Organs
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology
1st Semester:
- Medical-scientific Methods: Public Health (X)
- Internal Medicine and General Surgery (II)
- Paediatrics
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
2nd Semester:
- Medical-scientific Methods: Forensic Medicine, Medicine and the Law (XI)
- Internal Medicine and General Surgery (III) – Medical and Surgical Therapy and Geriatrics
- Emergency Medicine and Surgery
Clinical Experience
The practical experience at La Sapienza starts in the 1st semester of the 2nd year, coinciding with the start of studying human physiology. However, the focus on practical involvement really kicks up a notch during 4th year. The syllabus has an intense focus on cementing theory before practice.
In 2nd and 3rd year students will go into the hospital a maximum of 1-2 times per semester, a couple of hours each time. By 3rd year practical skills are increasingly taught and students require life support licenses in order to continue with their studies. State of the art skill labs are routinely used to teach clinical examination skills. During the 4th year, students will be expected to go 1 full day a week to the skill lab in 1st semester, and then 1-2 mornings a week in 2nd semester to learn practical activities. These may include, but are not limited to: inserting catheters, performing EKGs, ultrasounds, and placing nasogastric tubes.
Onwards of 5th year students will be in the hospital every morning to complete mandatory 100-hour clerkships, or otherwise have mornings off to start writing a thesis, or doing additional clinical elective placements. The mandatory clerkships are referred to as Tirocinio Pratico Valutativo per Esame di Stato (TPVES) and are a standard across all Italian medical schools to graduate with a medical license at the end of the 6 year MD programme.
Cadaver Dissections
Simply put, no. No university in Italy does cadaver dissections; however, like almost all other Italian medical schools, human prosections are a possibility.
At the end of 2nd year, if you have completed all of your Anatomy exams, you are invited to observe a dissection by the Anatomy professors via a livefeed. This is usually of a brain since the last portion of the anatomy exams is neuroanatomy. In 4th year you will need to complete an Autopsy experience as a clinical rotation in the Pathology department, as well as do dissections of a frozen human heart. These, however, are not like the dissections imagined in American universities, with a group of students getting their own cadaver to work on.
Campus and Course Dynamics
La Sapienza has smaller class sizes on average which is very advantageous to building relationships with professors. With a maximum size of 45 students per class, every student has the opportunity to request additional clinical hours, shadowing opportunities and even private office hours with professors to go over problem areas in the subjects. Overall, students are incredibly cooperative and collaborative across years. Senior students tend to leave resources for younger students, and there are huge student-created online networks to share everything from news to exam materials.
The quality of professors is of course very high, considering they must have vast international experience in order to teach the International Medical School (IMS). While it’s impossible for every professor to be excellent, the overall quality is great and most students don’t ever have issues with the levels of English from professors.
Teaching Facilities
The teaching facilities in La Sapienza are consistent with other Italian medical schools. There are many anatomy labs with physical models, virtual tables, and microscopes for every didactic need, for histology or otherwise, as well as skill labs that have dummies to learn basic life support and other clinical maneuvers. The lecture halls are spacious, with Wi-Fi provided as well as power plugs and projectors for online lecture support.
As mentioned before there is also a state of the art clinical skill lab and simulation centre that’s actually been mentioned on Italian news! While the more high-tech capabilities are used by residents, simulations are open to medical students, with live feedback sessions about the simulations.
Libraries
La Sapienza prides itself on having the “largest university library catalogue in Italy consisting of 2.7 million scientific books and journals”, which can be accessed by the prior link. They also have 900 electronic course textbooks, as well as 300,000 eBooks, over 30,000 electronic journals all gathered from across 200 databases. The university totals 48 libraries with over 6000 seats which you can find on this map. A few 24 hour libraries are open for the night owls!
Additionally, hundreds of public libraries are dotted around Rome with different hours of operation and locations. Some of these can range from more modern buildings with private wireless charging docks and individual lights on each desk, or more iconic and historic locations that can make you feel like you’re studying in a Rome from 500 years ago. Here is a blog post we found that shows some of the different and interesting public libraries found in central Rome!
Sports Facilities & Canteens
Sporting activities & facilities are organized by the CUS Roma. There are a wide range of sports and classes available from dancing to team sports, even European broadsword fighting! There is an annual fee of around €180 which gives you insurance for these activities and grants you access to different facilities such as swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, football fields etc.
Unfortunately the main gym facilities (like weightlifting), located right next to the campus, are quite disappointing with limited machines such as only 1-2 threadmills. The other location and sports facilities are much more extensive and impressive, but considering this is the closest location to the main campus it’s a bit of a let down.
The canteen facilities in La Sapienza range from cafes, to restaurants, to what are called mensa (cafeterias). Meals are incredibly reasonably priced and can be reduced to €2 or even €0, depending on students income, for a full meal which will include a main dish, a side, a salad and a drink. These reduced meal canteens can be found across a dozen different locations.
Student Services
It seems as though La Sapienza provides students with a PDF of information every year from their website, here’s the run down:
- General Info – the university provide a yearly general living guide.
- Accommodation – the university doesn’t provide residence for incoming students. However, several rental agencies in partnership the university help students in finding a suitable accommodation.
- Sports Facilities – the university has recently poured funding into sports facilities for Erasmus and exchange students.
More can even be found on the La Sapienza Facebook fan-page. - Language centres – the university provides free language testing and language courses to its students in a variety of different languages.
Language Requirements
It is technically not a requirement, though on their website La Sapienza states that “students must have at least an upper-intermediate knowledge of English OR Italian” in general for any course, suggesting either a B1 or B2 qualification. Doing the IMAT is more than enough as far as the university is concerned to demonstrate your English level so you will not be required to provide any additional certifications of language level. Clinical years are not locked behind a language assessment, however we really cannot emphasize enough the importance of learning Italian. While you might not need to know it to enroll or do your clinical rotations, it will help you so immensely in both your day to day life and academic opportunities. Start learning Italian today.
Italian Courses
The IMS students are offered free Italian classes starting in the 2nd semester of 1st year that continue for a few semesters, and will eventually have a focus on medical terminology. These classes are completely free, however most students start doing classes privately much earlier instead of waiting.
Opportunities to go Abroad
La Sapienza offers 3 types of Erasmus programs to travel abroad and has studying agreements with 895 universities across 87 countries. There are also associations like SISM that allow you to go on month-long practical and research exchanges, though you will not receive grant funding for them as opposed to the Erasmus program. We have two further in-depth articles if you would like to find out more:
Special Admission Requirements
Applications to La Sapienza are all fairly well-linked across their website. It does not require any additional certificates, however:
- Students must hold a high school diploma earned after at least 12 years of studies.
- Additionally, all students must have “at least an upper-intermediate knowledge of English OR Italian” (completing the IMAT is enough to demonstrate this).
- Medicine and Surgery programs also require students to sit a mandatory admission test called the IMAT.
- You can also find the full list of general documentation you’ll need for Italy in another one of our articles linked.
- Some more additional information for International students applying can also be found on the hyperlinks.
For advice on preparation for the national entry test and other information, we highly recommend watching this video.
Studying Medicine in Rome
Brief Overview of Rome
Weather
Rome has mild winters that are mostly grey and rainy with temperatures rarely going below 5° C. Quite frequently there are bright sunny days despite it being the middle of winter, with dressing in layers being the best advice as you never know how warm it can get. Autumn and spring are beautiful with bright, clear skies and warm temperatures. Summers in Rome may seem unbearable. It is hot, humid and muggy; you will stick to things and sweat from places you didn’t know were possible, but overall it’s a very mediterranean experience!
Cost of Living Index
According to the website Numbeo the cost of living in Rome is the 2nd most expensive in Italy right after Milan. While the day-to-day costs are cheaper than most cities, it’s average cost of rent brings it quite high up on the index.
Population & Size of City
With over 2.86 million residents in a 1285 km2 area, Rome is Italys most populated comune and the 3rd most populous city in the EU (when city boundaries are considered). The Metropolitan City of Rome (covering a larger area than central Rome) with a population of 4,355,725 residents is the most populous metropolitan area in Italy.
Vatican City (the smallest country in the world) is an independent state inside the city boundaries of Rome, the only existing example of a country within a city making Rome all the more unique.
Transportation Overview
Rome has quite an extensive transportation system with the possibility of riding on metro, tram, train, and buses that span the entire city, some of which operate 24/7. The annual transport ticket that allows unlimited travel within the city lines 24 hours a day, 365 days a year only costs €250. Rome also offers car shares, bike share, and even electric scooter share services. We have a much more detailed article talking about the positives and negatives (quite a few, actually) of the transportation system in Rome, which we recommend reading.
Accommodation Overview
La Sapienza, like almost all of the other medical schools in Italy, doesn’t provide housing accommodation for incoming students. However, several rental agencies partner with the university to help students find suitable accommodation; you can learn more about it here.
La Sapienza‘s hospital Policlinico Umberto I has its own metro stop so students may live anywhere along the metro lines for convenience. The general and popular neighbourhoods that students choose to live in are (from most expensive to cheapest):
- Policlinico
- Bologna
- San Lorenzo
- Tiburtina
- Pigneto
There are other areas as well that have different price ranges. We would really recommend reading our full guide on finding accommodation in Rome for a much more detailed breakdown. However students can expect to pay on average €350-400 a month for a private room, with bills being €50-100 a month depending on different factors, like type of heating, A/C, condominium fees, etc.
Living Costs Overview
Rome is one of the most expensive cities to live in in Italy, along with Milan and Genova. However, compared to most European cities it is actually still incredibly cheap. The costs really depend on the lifestyle the student wants to live, as simple meals in a small place can cost €5 up to €30 on average for a much nicer restaurant. The transport system in Rome is around €20 a month if paid annually, and the rent is highly contingent. For example, a shared room within walking distance can be as low as €200 a month, whereas a private studio apartment in the Policlinico area can be €1200.
It is challenging to give an average cost, considering how much it depends on the student and their lifestyle. With that said, for a student who would like to live in a private room, in a shared apartment, within a 30 minute walking distance of the university and only go out 1-2 times a week, I would say needs to budget for a minimum of about €650-700 a month for everything.
Different Activities
Honestly, there are too many to describe in a single paragraph. There are sporting teams and events, political protests, international film festivals, food festivals, concerts, both wild and tame parties that take place in the university, or even on boats in the Tibur river. You can spend one evening in a palace that’s been turned into a library and the next dancing in a fountain at a university-wide party. Being one of the biggest and busiest cities in Italy, there are websites that would not be able to cover everything you can do here, but here are a few to get you started:
5 thoughts on “La Sapienza Ultraguide”
Good evening my name is jorant I come from Cameroon I would like to join the university la sapienza because given the seriousness in this school it will allow me to learn and know medicine well
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If I finished my exams in February attempt itself and I am satisfied with my marks, so I go to my home country until the start of 2nd semester. Or to summaries when can I go to my home country as an IMS studing in Sapienza for holidays.
You can go back to your country (if you finish your exams early) in the period of time between the exam session and the beginning of classes. For example, you can leave Italy in the beginning of February and come back around three weeks after. During summer, you could go back to your country from Mid-July until the end of September. It all depends on how you manage your exams, but in general I would say you should have enough time 🙂
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