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Study Medicine in Italy in 2017                             

19th December 2016 
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You are receiving this newsletter because you have requested information on opportunities to study medicine abroad.

This newsletter is dedicated entirely to studying medicine at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome where the application window for the entrance exam has just opened.
Study medicine in Rome, Italy 
 
  About the degree

The degree is a six-year fully integrated Masters in Medicine and Surgery. The degree is taught fully in English although there is a requirement to learn Italian to deal with patients in the clinical years.
 
One of the most distinguishing features of the Programme is the complete integration of basic and clinical sciences. This will be achieved through a multidisciplinary approach and an early involvement in patient management which includes moral and ethical issues, as well as legal responsibilities which are at the basis of the profession.
In addition medical anthropology, bioethics and medical humanities will be emphasized as well as the ability to communicate with the patient and the family.   
 
The degree will provide a strong specific background, and theoretical and practical preparation in medical practice and methodology, as well as a high level of professional decisions and operational independence in terms of ability to face and solve the main health problems from the preventive, diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic point of view.
 
You can find full details on our website.  
Entry requirements

 
The entry requirements for Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore are different to most other medical schools.

If you have a school leaving certificate you are able to apply to study in Rome. This means that you could have as little as EEE in your A levels or 24 in the IB and still be able to apply. Your A levels need to be in relevant subjects, including biology and chemistry. BTECs or Access to HE courses are not accepted. None of this means it is easy to get in, however.

There is no graduate entry route to entry at UCSC but students with a relevant first degree may be able to secure exemptions from some modules. Students who are currently studying at other medical schools might be able to apply for a transfer but this depends entirely on the number of available seats and we won't know this until June 2017 for next September. The transfer route is not available to students with related degrees such as Biomedical Sciences. If you have such a degree, you will have to apply for first year entry.

Entry is assessed entirely on performance on the university's own examination. This exam covers logic, visual space reasoning, text understanding, attention and precision, numerical reasoning, problem solving and religion. The 100 questions for the exam will be taken from an online simulator where 2,000 questions can be found. This does not include the text and religion questions which will be different for the exam. You will only gain access to the simulator once you have paid the registration fee for the exam. We can supply a sample test, however, to give you a rough idea of the types of questions you will be asked.

In order to assist applicants with the religion (Catholic) questions, three texts will be made available and the questions on the exam will refer to these.

The number of students applying for UCSC is lower than for the public universities so you should stand a better chance of success although it is still competitive and no guarantees can be made. This year there are 50 places available (20 places for EU students and 30 places for non-EU students). Last year, around 500 people took the test for 50 available seats. We strongly advise you to apply as a non-EU student if you have nationality outside the EU, even if you also have EU nationality. It will dramatically improve your chances of success.

The exam will take place on 20th February 2017. Closing date for entries is 3rd February 2017. By this time you must have completed the online application form on the university's website. The exam entrance fee (€160) must be paid by 10th February 2017. The exam will take place in London. There are numerous test centres in other parts of the world but all exams must take place at exactly the same time on the same date.

The results of the exam will be announced on 28th February 2017 and will be published online. Any offer made to a British student will be unconditional on future A level achievement (as long as you pass them). 



There is no application fee payable to us if you wish to go to UCSC. You will have to pay €160 by credit card to take the entrance exam but that is all. Please contact us and we will explain how to do this. It does not cost you anything to let us know you wish to apply.

Tuition fees for EU passport holders range from €7,000 to €16,000 per year. It is difficult to be precise because Italian universities rely on means-testing when setting the fees. it is our understanding that most EU students pay around €10,000 a year. Non-EU students will pay at the higher end of this range, regardless of family income.

Successful applicants will be required to pay a deposit of €4,000 within 14 days of receiving an offer, ie. before 10th March 2017. If you are not sure that you want to study in Italy in 2017 or you are waiting to see what happens with UK medical school applications then it is unwise to apply to UCSC because you will lose the deposit if you change your mind. If you don't pay within 14 days your place will be offered to a student on the waiting list.

Students will be expected to cover the costs of the entire programme from their own resources although there is some financial aid available for UCSC's charitable foundation, Educatt. It is not easy to determine exactly what level of support is available, if any.

The cost of living in Rome is reasonable by UK standards and we would suggest that around €850 a month should be enough to cover most costs. The university has a limited supply of its own housing available for international students. 
If you are interested in studying medicine in Rome you can start the application process here.

We believe that the smaller class sizes and better learning environment on offer at private medical schools in Italy make Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore a great place to live and study.

Please feel free to call us on 020 8782 1163 if you would like to discuss this opportunity to study medicine abroad.


Best regards,
 

Mark Huntington
A Star Future Ltd