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Study Medicine in Italy · English-Taught
Medicine & Surgery in English
Medicine & Surgery in English
University of Parma · Piacenza
A public, fully English Medicine & Surgery (MD) degree from one of Europe's oldest universities — taught in Piacenza with a dedicated campus and hospital reserved just for the English course, and a distinctive "global physician" curriculum.
Public University
Admission: IMAT
6 Years · 360 ECTS
100% English
Dedicated campus & hospital
Independent study guide by IMAT Nerd · Researched from official UniPR & MUR sources
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Years (single-cycle)
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ECTS credits
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Seats 2025/26*
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Taught in English
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Programme since
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University roots (A.D.)
Overview
Quick Facts
University type
Public · State
Location
Piacenza (UniPR)
Language
100% English
Degree
MD · LM-41
Duration
6 yrs · 360 ECTS
Admission
IMAT (national)
Seats 2025/26
~75 + 45 non-EU
Tuition
Public · income-based
*Note: Seat numbers are set yearly by an MUR decree and confirmed in the official call (bando) — always verify current figures before applying.
Who they are
About Parma · Piacenza
The University of Parma (UniPR) is among the oldest academic institutions in Europe, with roots reaching back over a thousand years. In October 2021 it launched a brand-new English-taught Medicine & Surgery course (class LM-41, 360 ECTS, six years) — located not in Parma itself but in the nearby city of Piacenza.
The standout feature is that Piacenza gives the English course a dedicated campus and hospital system, not shared with the Italian-track students. That avoids competition for clinical resources and creates a tight-knit, international community. The curriculum is designed around the idea of the "global physician", adding health economics, management and comparative healthcare systems to a strong integrated science core.
Dedicated hospital
A hospital system reserved for the English course — rare in Italy — means more hands-on access.
"Global physician" focus
Health economics, management and comparative health systems alongside core medicine.
Small, international cohort
A tight-knit class on a campus built for the programme — with final-year international training options.
Why choose it
Why Study Medicine at Parma
Dedicated campus & hospital
The English course has its own clinical resources in Piacenza — no competition with the Italian track.
Global-physician curriculum
Health economics, management and comparative healthcare systems make for a distinctive, modern degree.
Affordable, calmer city
Piacenza is a relaxed, authentic city with notably lower rents than Milan or the big hubs.
Well-connected location
~30–45 minutes by train to Parma and Milan — small-city living with big-city access.
Ancient university, new course
A thousand-year-old institution running a freshly designed, internationally minded programme.
How to get in
Admission & IMAT Requirements
Admission is by the national IMAT, set yearly by the Ministry (MUR). It is the same exam, on the same day, for every Italian public university with an English medical curriculum, and seats are allocated strictly by IMAT ranking. (The Italian-track course uses TOLC-MED instead — this page is about the English course.)
| Admission route | National public process via MUR / Universitaly ("IMAT") |
| Places 2025/26* | Around 75 EU + non-EU resident in Italy and 45 non-EU resident abroad (≈120 total) |
| Test format* | 60 multiple-choice questions in 100 minutes (2025 decree) |
| Scoring* | +1.5 correct · 0 blank · −0.4 wrong (confirm in the annual decree) |
| Language | English-taught · B2 Italian needed by Year 3 for patient contact (a language course is offered) |
| Where to apply | Universitaly (EU) · the university's portal (non-EU) · select Parma as first choice |
What the IMAT covers
| Section | Questions* | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Reading & general knowledge | 4 | Comprehension and broad academic awareness |
| Logical reasoning & problems | 5 | Critical thinking; accuracy matters under negative marking |
| Biology | 23 | Largest, highest-weighted science section |
| Chemistry | 15 | General and organic chemistry fundamentals |
| Physics & Mathematics | 13 | Combined quantitative and physical-science section |
Always check the current bando. Dates, question split, timing and seat numbers are fixed yearly by the MUR decree and the UniPR call — the figures above reflect the 2025 decree.
Competitiveness
Previous Admission Scores
Because admission is purely by IMAT ranking, the "minimum" is simply the score of the last admitted candidate — so it shifts each year with the exam's difficulty and the applicant pool. As a newer course (since 2021) with a large quota, Parma's EU thresholds are relatively accessible; the 2024 step-up reflects an easier national exam that pushed scores higher everywhere:
EU final cut-off score (out of 90) · course began in 2021
| IMAT year | EU minimum* | Non-EU minimum* | Seats (EU / Non-EU) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 34.1 | 41.9 | 60 / 40 |
| 2023 | 35.3 | — | 75 / 45 |
| 2024 | 57.6 | 59.1 | 75 / 45 |
| 2025 | 56.1 | 67.6 | 75 / 45 |
Read carefully: EU figures are the final post-scrolling cut-offs and non-EU figures are each year's ranking cut-off. They are community-tracked, unofficial, and vary with exam difficulty — only the live official ranking for your intake decides admission. (The course launched in 2021, so there is no 2021 data.)
Budgeting
Tuition & Living Costs
As a public university, UniPR has no fixed private tuition. Fees are income-based (from your family's ISEE), with reductions and a no-tax band for lower incomes. Living in Piacenza is more affordable than Milan or the big northern hubs.
| Tuition model | Public, income-based (ISEE) — typically a few hundred to a few thousand € / year |
| First instalment | Fixed minimum (regional tax + stamp duty), same for all |
| Reductions | No-tax band for low ISEE; merit/income exemptions and ER-GO (Emilia-Romagna) scholarships |
| Housing | Private rentals (student office assists); a new dedicated campus has been under development |
Cost of living in Piacenza (≈ €800–€1,150 / month)
€400–€500
Room / month — cheaper than Milan
ER-GO
Regional scholarships (tuition + stipend by ISEE)
~30–45 min
Train to Parma; ~1 hr to Milan
€25–€45
Weekly groceries · calm, walkable city
Tip: confirm current numbers on UniPR's fees page and ER-GO before budgeting, especially with international income documents.
The 6 years
Curriculum & Program Structure
The plan splits into preclinical years (1–2) with integrated, multi-subject exams, then clinical years from Year 3. Beyond the core science and clinical training, Parma layers in its "global physician" themes — communication, health economics, management and comparative healthcare systems — with options for international training in the final year.
| Year | Phase | Focus | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Preclinical | Integrated basic sciences (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, biology, etc.); communication & methodology | Piacenza campus |
| 3 | Bridge to clinic | Pathology, pharmacology, clinical methodology; clinical rotations begin (B2 Italian needed) | Piacenza hospital |
| 4–5 | Clinical rotations | Internal medicine, surgery, paediatrics and specialties; health economics & management | Dedicated hospital |
| 6 | Graduation | Advanced clerkships, optional international training and final thesis → MD (LM-41) | University of Parma |
Two preclinical yearsIntegrated exams (early yrs)Clinical from Year 3Health economics & managementComparative health systemsFinal-year international training
What stands out
Programme Strengths & Student Ratings
Parma's appeal is a modern, dedicated programme at an ancient university. Here's where the Piacenza course shines:
Bars are an editorial read of the programme's distinctive features — not an official ranking. Swap in any metric you prefer.
Student experience — at a glance
4.2
★★★★☆
Editorial overview · replace with your verified rating
Dedicated clinical resourcesVery high
Affordability of livingHigh
International communityStrong
Curriculum innovationHigh
City size (smaller, quieter)Modest
New programme (still maturing)To weigh up
How to read this: an editorial summary of recurring student-feedback themes, not a statistical survey. Add verified review numbers when you have them.
Where you'll study
Campus, Hospital & Clinical Network
Everything happens in Piacenza, not Parma. Early lectures have been held at the historic Collegio Alberoni, with clinical rotations at the Ospedale Guglielmo da Saliceto, while a new, purpose-built campus to bring students together has been under development.
Replace with: Ospedale G. da Saliceto / campusUpload an official photo to your Media Library
Replace with: Piacenza cityFree official/city image
Replace with: Collegio AlberoniOfficial / public-domain image
Teaching & clinical network
Dedicated Piacenza hospitalOspedale Guglielmo da SalicetoCollegio Alberoni (early lectures)New dedicated campus (in progress)DiMeC (Medicine & Surgery Dept.)ER-GO student servicesTrain links: Parma & Milan
After graduation
Recognition & Licensing
The course awards a single-cycle Italian MD (LM-41) from a public university, EU-aligned and internationally recognised. It opens the path to residency, the School of General Medicine, or a PhD after the relevant national steps, with a curriculum built for working across different healthcare systems.
To practise in Italy, graduates register with the Ordine dei Medici after the qualifying evaluation internship. Recognition for practice outside the EU depends on the destination country's medical authority — so confirm your target country's pathway early.
Bottom line: an EU-valid MD with an internationally minded curriculum — just map your destination's licensing route before enrolling.
Find them
Location & Contact
UniversityUniversity of Parma (UniPR)
Course locationPiacenza (a separate seat of the university)
Early lecturesCollegio Alberoni, Piacenza
Teaching hospitalOspedale Guglielmo da Saliceto, Piacenza
Degree classLM-41 single-cycle Medicine & Surgery (English)
Websitecorsi.unipr.it/en/cdlm-ms
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — but the English course is taught in Piacenza, not Parma. It’s a 6-year single-cycle Medicine and Surgery degree (class LM-41, 360 ECTS) taught entirely in English, launched in October 2021.
Piacenza gives the English course a dedicated campus and hospital system, separate from the Italian-track students — so there’s no competition for clinical resources and a tighter-knit international community.
It’s a public programme, so admission runs through the national IMAT process (MUR / Universitaly). The Italian-language course at Parma uses TOLC-MED instead, but for the English course you need the IMAT.
The course offers a large quota — roughly 75 places for EU and non-EU candidates resident in Italy and 45 for non-EU candidates resident abroad in recent cycles. Always confirm the current bando.
As a newer course with a big quota, Parma’s EU cut-offs are relatively accessible. There’s no fixed pass mark; trackers reported EU finals in the mid-30s for 2022–2023, rising into the upper-50s in 2024–2025 after an easier national exam.
The course is in English, but you’ll need B2 Italian by Year 3 to interact with patients on the wards; the university offers a language course.
A dedicated campus and hospital for the English course, a ‘global physician’ curriculum (health economics, management, comparative health systems), and an affordable, calm city well-connected to Parma and Milan.
Public, income-based (ISEE) tuition with reductions for lower incomes, plus ER-GO regional scholarships. Piacenza is affordable — budget roughly €800–€1,150 per month, with rooms around €400–€500.
Yes — an EU-valid Italian MD that is internationally recognised. To practise in Italy you register with the Ordine dei Medici; for other countries, check that authority’s recognition pathway.
A dedicated campus & hospital await. Earn your Parma-Piacenza seat.
Parma's large quota and dedicated resources make it a smart, accessible target — but you still need a solid, reliable IMAT score. Build Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths and reasoning the structured way: 500+ lectures, mock exams and solved past papers.
Last updated: June 2026
Sources & verification: University of Parma (UniPR) Medicine & Surgery (English) course pages; Piacenza campus / Ospedale Guglielmo da Saliceto information;
MUR Medicine/Dentistry-in-English admission decree and places tables; community IMAT cut-off trackers.
Cut-off figures are aggregated from unofficial student trackers.
Disclaimer: Admission rules, dates, seat numbers and fees are set annually by the MUR and the University of Parma.
This is an independent study guide by IMAT Nerd, not affiliated with the University of Parma. Always confirm details in the current official call before applying.