Studying Medicine in English at the University of Florence: A Guide to the New Program

Florence has finally joined the English-taught medicine club. From the 2026/2027 academic year, the University of Florence will offer a new six-year single-cycle degree in Medicine and Surgery, taught entirely in English. It’s also the first degree of its kind to be activated in Tuscany.

The University itself is anything but new: its history reaches back to the Studium Generale founded in 1321. The English medical programme, however, is brand new. Apparently Florence waited seven centuries to decide that anatomy also sounds good in English. Better late than never.

The programme is 6 years long, awards 360 CFU and has nationally restricted admission, with only 50 places currently listed. Entry is through the IMAT, rather than the open-semester system used for Italian-taught Medicine.

Because this is the first intake, there are no previous IMAT admission cut-off scores to use as a reference, senior students to ask for advice, or inherited folders titled “the professor always asks these questions”. Still, there’s no reason to panic as students will receive the necessary guidance and support.

Medicine and Surgery in English at UniFI: what is new?

The new Medicine and Surgery program at UniFI is aimed at both Italian and international students and is designed to train doctors for modern, multicultural healthcare settings.

The official educational plan places particular emphasis on global health, prevention, research, digital technologies, communication and teamwork. It also includes evidence-based medicine, biomedical innovation, digital health and the responsible use of artificial intelligence. In other words, future doctors will still need to know the Krebs cycle, but they will also be expected to understand data, clinical evidence and the technologies increasingly used around the patient.

Soft skills are also part of the programme from the first year, with activities focused on communication, teamwork, decision-making and the doctor-patient relationship.

Where will the lessons be? Careggi and the course facilities

The programme belongs to the School of Human Health Sciences and is based mainly around the Careggi university-hospital area and the Morgagni Teaching Centre.

Careggi is in northern Florence, around Largo Brambilla and Viale Morgagni. It may not be the Florence of postcard bridges and Renaissance façades, but it’s where the University's biomedical teaching buildings, laboratories, library and major hospital facilities are concentrated.

One useful warning: Careggi is not one neat building with an obvious entrance. It is a large hospital district made up of several pavilions and clinical areas. Saving the official Careggi map before your first lesson is highly recommended.

How to get to the university

The easiest connection from central Florence is the T1 tram, which links Firenze Santa Maria Novella station directly to Careggi in around twenty minutes.

• From Santa Maria Novella: T1 towards Careggi-Ospedale.
• From Firenze Rifredi: local buses, including lines 33, 40, 43, 56, or walking depending on the destination.
• From Florence Airport: T2 towards the centre, then change to T1.
• By car: Careggi is accessible from Firenze Nord, although traffic may make the final part of the journey considerably less poetic than the historic centre.

For updated information, check the hospital's official how to reach Careggi page.

How the six-year programme is organised

The degree consists of 12 semesters and 360 CFU, with compulsory attendance. Teaching combines lectures with seminars, laboratories, small-group work, simulations, case discussions and clinical placements.

The first two years establish the biomedical foundations, including chemistry, physics, biology, psychology, biochemistry, anatomy, histology, microbiology and physiology. Practical activities are not postponed until the later years: professionalising educational activities begin in the first year.

From the third year, the programme becomes increasingly clinical, introducing pathology, semiotics and pathophysiology, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, endocrine and gastrointestinal diseases and musculoskeletal medicine.

The fourth year includes pharmacology, anaesthesia, healthcare organisation and integrated medical and surgical specialties. The fifth moves into imaging, obstetrics and gynaecology, neurology, pathological anatomy, paediatrics, psychiatry, geriatrics and One Health. The sixth focuses mainly on surgery, internal medicine and emergencies, followed by the practical qualifying internship and final examination.

The practical workload also increases significantly over time: the study plan includes 7 CFU of professionalising activities in the first year, 8 in the second, 12 in both the third and fourth, and 22 in the fifth, followed by a 15-CFU qualifying internship in the sixth year.

The closer graduation gets, the less likely you are to spend the entire day safely hidden behind a textbook.

When will I meet a real patient?

Earlier than in many traditional curricula, at least according to the programme design.

UniFi states that professionalising activities begin in the first year, initially through simulation and supervised practical activities, followed progressively by clinical placements and patient contact. Communication, teamwork and problem-solving are meant to develop alongside scientific knowledge rather than appearing suddenly in the final years.

The precise schedule of hospital activities for the first 2026/2027 cohort is not yet detailed enough to promise a certain number of ward days. What is confirmed is a gradual increase in practical training throughout the degree.

English course, Italian patients

Teaching is delivered in English, and students are expected to have enough English proficiency to understand the scientific and technical language used in the IMAT and throughout the programme. Italian, however, still matters.

The official requirements state that non-native Italian speakers are expected to possess B2-level Italian when enrolment is finalised. Students who do not yet meet this level may receive an additional educational obligation, or OFA, rather than automatically being excluded from the course. Applicants should check the annual admission call for the exact requirements and deadlines.

And beyond formal certification, Italian becomes increasingly important during clinical activities. The lectures may be in English, but the patient telling you about their chest pain may quite reasonably prefer Italian.

Study abroad

Internationalisation is one of the main objectives of the new programme.

The School of Human Health Sciences already manages Erasmus+ Study, Erasmus+ Traineeship, and other international programmes. Since the English degree is new, however, students should verify course-specific equivalences before assuming that agreements used by the Italian Medicine programme will apply unchanged. Erasmus is an excellent opportunity, as long as you don’t return home to discover that three exams don’t match.

Accommodation and student life

The University does not directly guarantee housing. Accommodation support is mainly provided through DSU Toscana, which manages student residences, scholarships and housing benefits, while UniFi provides a dedicated accommodation information page.

The Calamandrei residential complex is particularly convenient for Medicine students because it is located in Viale Morgagni, close to Careggi. Places are limited and allocated through DSU procedures.

For private accommodation, areas such as Careggi, Rifredi or neighbourhoods along the T1 tram line offer the easiest commute. The historic centre is certainly attractive, though proximity to an 8:30 anatomy class is not among its principal advantages.

Where to eat and where to study

The nearest major university canteen is the Calamandrei canteen, in Viale Morgagni 51, close to the biomedical campus. It offers standard, vegetarian, takeaway and gluten-free options. Prices depend on DSU status and the student's economic bracket.

For studying, the main reference point is the Biomedical Library inside the Careggi area, in Pavilion 5a. It offers reading spaces, group-study rooms, computers and access to databases including PubMed, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane Library.

Other study areas are available around Morgagni and across the University library system. And when hospital lighting is no longer supporting your emotional wellbeing, Florence has several libraries in the historic centre.

Fees and scholarships

UniFi does not charge one identical tuition fee to every student. Contributions vary according to economic circumstances, academic progress and possible reductions or exemptions.

Students resident in Italy generally use the university ISEE, while those living abroad may be assigned a figurative ISEE according to their country of residence. The official fees, ISEE and benefits page explains the system, and a 2026/2027 fee simulator is also available.

DSU Toscana also offers scholarships, accommodation and meal benefits based on financial and merit requirements. International students should prepare the required family-income and asset documentation early, particularly when translations or legalisation are needed.

Pros and cons of med school at UniFI

PROS

• First fully English-taught Medicine and Surgery degree in Tuscany.
• Only 50 places are currently listed, suggesting a relatively small cohort.
• Professionalising activities begin in the first year.
• Strong focus on One Health, research, digital technologies, AI and soft skills.
• Florence is Florence. It's undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in Italy, if not the whole world, and anyone would be lucky to call it their home for a while.

CONS

• It is a completely new programme, so there are no previous IMAT admission cut-off scores, established exam traditions or senior students who can explain what actually happens in each course.
• Exact timetables, exam formats and programme-specific mobility arrangements will only become clearer once the first cohort begins.
• International students need to take the Italian-language requirement seriously, particularly for clinical activities (this is true for all English-taught degree courses in Italy)
• Attendance is mandatory and the workload remains that of a six-year medical degree, regardless of how pleasant your morning walk beside the Arno was.

Admission, IMAT and bureaucracy

Admission to the course requires a secondary-school diploma, or an eligible foreign qualification, and success in the national IMAT selection procedure. The current UniFi course catalogue lists 50 places for the 2026/2027 intake, with the IMAT scheduled for 29 September 2026.

Since Florence is entering the IMAT system for the first time, there is no previous admission cut-off to use as a realistic target. The sensible strategy is therefore the annoyingly obvious one: aim for the highest score possible.

International students may also need to complete additional steps through Universitaly, including pre-enrolment, visa procedures and recognition of foreign qualifications, depending on their citizenship and residence status.

Want to understand how the IMAT is actually structured, how the scoring system works and how to maximise your points? Check out our blog for detailed guides, preparation strategies and everything you need to approach the test in the most effective way.

Useful contacts

• Official course website: Medicine and Surgery – University of Florence
• Course catalogue and study plan: B436 Medicine and Surgery
• Enrolment guidance: official course enrolment page
• School of Human Health Sciences: Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence

Overall, the programme may be particularly attractive to students looking for an international medical education, early practical exposure and a modern curriculum within a major Italian university-hospital setting.

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