The University of Catania

The University of Catania is located on the island of Sicily in southern Italy. Looking out to the Mediterranean Sea, it sits at the foot of the Etna volcano.

The second largest city in the region, the University of Catania has everything a student could ask for: a rich culture and history, charming people, great food and a relatively cheap cost of living. In addition, Catania is home to one of the oldest universities in all of southern Italy, with over 30.000 students, almost a thousand of which are foreign students.

The University of Catania ’s academic offer is incredibly varied, with degree courses spanning from philosophy and ancient literature, law and economics, to maths, biology, nursing, and the one we’re really interested in: medicine and surgery.

University of Catania’s Minimum Admission Scores

• Non-EU: –
• EU first round: 34.9
• EU last round: 33

University of Catania’s Places available

There is a total of 60 places:

• EU: 60 places
• Non-EU: 0 *

*Despite this, many of the students currently in the course are originally from non-EU countries, but spent enough time in Europe to qualify for the EU ranking at the IMAT exam. The course website also says, in the FAQ section, that non-EU students will be allowed to apply , but that the confirmation is pending the release of the new ministerial decree.

Medicine and surgery

The University of Catania is no rookie in medicine: the Italian course in “Medicina e Chirurgia” was established in 1434 and is one of the oldest in the world.

This centenary tradition is certainly a guarantee of quality and prestige, but the university is no stranger to innovation : the degree course in Medicine and Surgery, taught in English, was established just last year, with its first ever cohort of students graduating in 2029.

This historic university’s newest degree program in Medicine and Surgery in English is “new” in more than just years.

This international course aims to be innovative and avant-garde, to form healthcare professionals qualified to work in a fast-moving world. For this reason, the Medicine and Surgery degree at the University of Catania is actually a sort of “MedTech” degree , with additional courses on informatics and AI, robotics, and e-Health.

To see the full course overview: Medicine and Surgery | University of Catania

To browse the course website: Degree Course in Medicine & Surgery

Position

The University of Catania spans the city, with different buildings for different degree courses. The main medical campus , where the Italian degree lectures are held, is located near or within the Polyclinic hospital, in two places:

• The “ Torre Biologica ” a newly built facility with several lecture rooms, a lecture hall and three large and very popular study rooms inside
• Building 13 at the Policlinico Hospital , the historical site of the course, where graduation ceremonies and major lectures are usually held.
• The English Medicine and Surgery course, however, is located in a different building, known as “Palazzo dell’Etna”, in the San Nullo neighbourhood , two metro stops away from the main medical campus, which is in the Milo neighbourhood. Palazzo dell’Etna is where the English-speaking students spend most of their day attending lectures while they move over to the main campus for internships and exams. Clinical internships are held at the Polyclinic Hospital, while exams and laboratories (such as the histology lab in the first year) take place at the Torre Biologica.

Many students also travel to the main campus to have lunch at one of the “mense”, the university canteens, or to work together in the study rooms. To move from one campus to the other, there are a couple options:

• A 25 minute walk
• A 30 minute journey on public transport (2 metro stops and the university shuttle)

At the following links, you can find the locations of Palazzo dell’Etna , Torre Biologica and the Policlinico Hospital !

Throughout the degree course, students have the opportunity to carry out internships and attend the different departments of the following hospitals located in Catania:

• Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Vittorio Emanuele , which encompasses: Policlinico G. Rodolico – Via S. Sofia, 78 Presidio Ospedaliero San Marco – Viale Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
• ARNAS Garibaldi , which encompasses: Garibaldi Centro – Piazza S. Maria di Gesù, 5 Garibaldi Nesima – Via Palermo, 636
• Azienda Ospedaliera per l’emergenza Cannizzaro – Via Messina, 829 IOM (Istituto Oncologico del Mediterraneo, meaning Mediterranean Institute of Oncology ) – Via Penninazzo, 7, 95029 Viagrande CT Centro Cuore Morgagni (Morgagni Heart Center)– Via della Resistenza, 31, 95030 Pedara CT

How to reach the University of Catania medical campus

Getting to Palazzo dell’Etna from anywhere in the city is quite easy, as it is on the metro line , right at the “San Nullo” stop. It’s also easily reachable by bus through the 433, 628N, and 702 bus lines. There are many free parking spots in the vicinity.

The main medical campus (Torre Biologica and Policlinico hospital) is also well connected by bus lines 442 and BRT1 , or through the metro, getting off at “ Milo ”. Paid parking spots at the “Multipiano” parking lot are available for students near the main campus, for a reduced student fee of 20€ a month (alternatively, free parking can be found at the “Santa Sofia” parking lot, a bit farther away).

Where to look for accommodation at the University of Catania

Most students moving to Catania rent a place in one of the following neighbourhoods:

• Zona Policlinico (near the hospital, favoured by the med students)
• Quartiere Italia
• Galatea
• Milo
• Giuffrida
• Centro storico

Educational plan

The Medicine and Surgery program, taught in English with a focus on Technology, provides a strong scientific foundation and practical training to prepare students to be modern and competent medical professionals. This includes collaborating effectively with technology and healthcare innovation experts to enhance individual well-being.

The program spans 12 semesters (so, 6 years) with 36 courses and a total of 360 credits (also known as CFUs). Attendance is required for theoretical classes (70%), and internships (100%). The study plan is roughly divided into:

• Pre-clinical years : in the first couple years students will learn the foundations of medicine, like molecular biology, chemistry and biochemistry, physics, anatomy and pharmacology
• Clinical years : from the second semester of the third year, students start to take the first clinical courses, studying the specific disease mechanisms for each organ system and the therapies to treat them.

What is interesting about the University of Catania’s novel Medicine and Surgery course is that it is, as previously mentioned, a “Med-Tech” degree. This means that in addition to the medical knowledge you will acquire, you will also have the opportunity to learn and master the more innovative aspects of modern medicine, looking at both technology and the future of global public health .

An additional tech topic is covered each year, with courses such as:

• Health informatics (year I)
• Bioengineering (year II)
• Artificial intelligence, machine learning and big data (year III)
• Medical and surgical robotics (year IV)
• Digital health and technological innovation (year V)
• From ideas to patents (year VI)

Each year, you will also be studying topics regarding the future of medicine, with courses such as:

• Health and climate changes  (year I)
• Water, food and sustainable diets (year II)
• Telemonitoring and proximity medicine (year III)
• Vaccine preventable infectious diseases and epidemics (year IV)
• Health in countries with protracted conflicts, refugees and migrants (year V)

The language barrier

The University of Catania does not require its international students to take an Italian language exam, but it does offer a facultative course for those who want some support in learning the language. As an international student at Unict, you’ll have free access to the courses in the Ita lian language held by the School of Italian Language and Culture, a special teaching structure of the University of Catania for foreign students and workers. If you want to get started before arriving in Italy, the ItaliAmo app is also a good option to learn the basics.

Keep in mind that, despite not being an obligatory requisite, Italian is the only language spoken by most doctors and patients, so it is expected that by the time you reach your first real clinical internship (around the third year), you are able to comprehend and speak some Italian .

Exams

Similar to most medical degree courses in Italy, examinations at the University of Catania are mostly oral, with some exceptions for more practical exams, like informatics. In many instances, students will take a written test (usually made up of multiple-choice questions), which, if passed, allows them to take the oral exam with the professor.

Exams take place in two main “sessions”: one at the end of the first semester, around February , and the other at the end of the second semester, around June/July . There are also two “catch-up sessions”, made to allow students to space out their exams, or get a second chance if they failed or want to better their mark. These “catch-up sessions” are usually around April/May , and in September .

First year

The first ever students of the Medicine and Surgery course at the University of Catania started the first lessons in late November of 2023, due to the unusual delay with the IMAT, which only took place in October 2023. However, it’s to be expected that future cohorts start lessons in early-to-mid October. The academic year is divided into two semesters. In the first semester of the first year, students take the following courses:

• Applied physics (4 CFU)
• Chemistry and biochemistry propaedeutics (5 CFU)
• Molecular biology I (2 CFU)
• Applied biology I (3 CFU)
• Medical genetics I (2 CFU)
• Histology, cytology, embryology and organogenesis (5 CFU)
• Health informatics (3 CFU)

In the second semester, the courses are:

• Cellular physiology (4 CFU)
• Biochemistry (5 CFU)
• Molecular biology II (1 CFU)
• Applied biology II (4 CFU)
• Medical genetics II (2 CFU)
• Regional anatomy and gross neuroanatomy (7 CFU)
• Health and climate changes (2 CFU)
• Additional language knowledge (= medical english and history of medicine, worth 3 CFU)

To look at the syllabus for all years in more detail, here’s the educational plan of the Medicine and Surgery course. If you’re unsure what a CFU is, here’s a web page explaining in more detail how the Italian higher education system works . If you’re curious about how the hospital rotations work, here’s an overview of the training internships .

University of Catania schedule

Lessons start around 8:00 AM , and each lecture lasts 2 hours. A regular day usually has 3 or 4 lectures, with 1-2 hour long lunch breaks in the middle. As previously mentioned, 70% attendance to lectures is mandatory: professors usually take roll-call at the start and end of each class.

To get a better idea of what a semester doing Medicine and Surgery at Unict might look like, here’s the April to June schedule of this year’s cohort. Keep in mind that, as previously mentioned, the academic year was delayed due to issues with the IMAT, so exact dates might not be accurate to the next few years. Here’s a look at the 2023/24 A.A.’s exam schedule (the schedule for the next academic years might vary)

Pros

• The English degree is equivalent to the Italian one ; they are equally recognised in Italy and the EU. For non-EU countries, it is necessary to check individual regulations. After graduation, you can register for the Postgraduate test in Italy.
• Small cohort : fewer students means a more individualised approach, with a focus on each student’s needs
• A focus on technology : the tech aspects of the course make it a unique option within the landscape of Italian medical schools.

Cons

• The “Palazzo dell’Etna”, where the English course takes place, is separate from the main campus and underserved, with no study rooms and no canteen in it. Students usually travel to the main medical campus to study after lectures or to have lunch in the canteen.
• Professors are extremely qualified, but most often don’t speak English as their first language : this can be an advantage, because they speak in simpler terms, but also a disadvantage, because they’re not as eloquent.

Lunch and libraries

Students travel to the main campus to have lunch at one of the “mense”, the university canteens, or to work together in the study rooms.

All enrolled students can access the university canteens to enjoy a meal in a friendly environment not too far from the course venues. The menus vary daily, and the times at which the service can be used are posted at the entrance to each dining hall. There are three canteens, located in:

• Via Santa Sofia (this is the “Mensa della Cittadella”, next to the main medical campus)
• Via Oberdan, 174 (near the city centre)
• Via Vittorio Emanuele II (near the city centre)

Alternatively, many students bring food from home, commonly known as “pranzo al sacco”, which they eat around the lecture halls.

Spacious study rooms are available for students in the main medical campus. There is also a medical library, the Biblioteca delle Scienze mediche , where students can access medical texts and study, located in Via Santa Sofia, 78. All students also have access to a digital library .

Studying abroad

There are several options for those who want to spend a period of their degree abroad:

• The Amgen Scholars programme offers students the opportunity to attend a summer school at one of the designated institutes of excellence (Cambridge, Karolinska, Pasteur, Ludwig Maximilians in Munich, ETH Zurich) during which they conduct basic research. Although it is mainly aimed at students with a background in basic science, rather than medical students, it is a very competitive fellowship that can enable important contacts to be made.
• The Giovanni-Armenise Summer Fellowship (GASF) is a fellowship that allows students to attend a period of basic research activity in a laboratory affiliated with Harvard Medical School. The fellowship is offered to students from the biomedical field selected through an application on the Armenise-Harvard Foundation website . The scholarship consists of a cash award (€ 2700.00) and allows the student to follow the designated lab’s research activities and participate in weekly introductory research seminars. In the year 2019, a fourth-year medical student from Catania was selected along with eleven others from all over Italy (of which approximately 50% were medical students).
• Erasmus+ Traineeship : allows a traineeship (clinical or research activity) in a European institute (must be part of the Erasmus + programme countries) with which the student has contact and has been able to make agreements (to put it simply, you have to do it yourself). The ranking list is widely accessible and many grants are offered (albeit very low sums of money are awarded). The exchange ranges from three months to a maximum of one year. Study : different programmes in which you attend at least one semester at another university. You can only go to partner institutions of the University of Catania. Good for long periods, a bit riskier for examinations (it is not certain that all foreign exams are accepted).

Multiple opportunities for overseas mobility are available to students within the framework of the Erasmus+ programme.

An overview can be found here , and past years’ calls to admissions can be found here .

For more information, the reference contact is Dr Giovanna Geraci (email: giovanna.schillaci@unict.it ; telephone number +39- 095-7307766).

SECRETARY’S OFFICE: for the Medicine and Surgery course

Administrative Office (institutional email address)

• medicineandsurgery@unict.it

Academic Office (for general information related to the Degree Course)

• Dr. Katia Zimbili: katia.zimbili@unict.it
• Office phone number: 095-3782261.

Office hours: from Monday to Friday from 09:00 AM to 12:30 PM. The Office is located at the building 1, 7 floor, room 31, Via Santa Sofia n. 78.

Student Secretariat (for information regarding enrollments, fees, and careers)

• settore.medico@unict.it

Coordinator

• Prof. Davide Capodanno

Coordination Team

• Prof. Davide Barbagallo
• Prof. Filippo Sanfilippo
• Prof. Giorgio Russo

SECRETARY’S OFFICE: for international students in general

International Relations Office Villa Citelli Via Salvatore Tomaselli, 31 95124 – Catania international@unict.it

Deputy rectors for international relations

• Lucia Zappalà: lzappala@unict.it
• Martino Ruggieri: m.ruggieri@unict.it
• Rosaria Sicurella: rosaria.sicurella@unict.it

Administrative contact Sonia Valenti: international.mobility@unict.it

Enrolment

The enrolment requirements are published in the call for admissions . Candidates must enrol for the admission test to the first year of the single-cycle Master Degree Course in “Medicine and Surgery” taught in English.

To gain access to the degree course, it is necessary to:

1. Take the IMAT (For the admission test, candidates must register online on the Universitaly ministerial portal www.universitaly.it )
2. Pass the selection provided for in the admission notice
3. Access your personal page on the student portal
4. Select the ‘Enrollment’ item
5. Complete the online application form
6. Make a payment of the first instalment of the regional tax, of the value of €156, by the deadline indicated in the relevant notice, following the procedures set out on the degree course page .

Enrolment is completed only after payment of the first instalment. Always consult the call for admissions for detailed procedures and deadlines.

The university of Catania also made a useful “ How To Enrol” video for international students. The Universitaly portal also has a guide on the procedures for entry, residency and enrolment in university.

Transferring

In order to transfer to the University of Catania from a different University, or to change course of study within the university, it is necessary to participate in the relevant call for admissions , published annually, and to fill in the online application via the Student Portal within the deadlines established each time by the call for applications.

Students can enter the call of admissions if:

• They intend to transfer to the same course of study, from a different university. In this case, Unict will verify that, at the university of origin, the student has acquired the knowledge necessary for access to the course of study. It is also necessary to have already obtained a sufficient number of credits (CFUs)  for enrolment in a year of the course subsequent to the first;
• They intend to transfer from the course they’re enrolled in to a different course of study, provided that they have taken the admission test. If transferring from a degree course with equivalent exams to medicine, students can ask to have their credits verified . Oftentime, due to technicalities, credits are not recognised and students have to retake the exams.

Tuition fees and scholarships

The Smart_Edu Student Portal is the student career management platform through which administrative/educational procedures are carried out online without having to go to the University offices. Once enrolled, students can pay the tuition fee through this portal.

All students are required to pay the regional tax for the right to study amounting to EUR 140 and the stamp duty (the so-called “marca da bollo” or “imposta da bollo”) of EUR 16 (for a fixed fee of EUR 156 ). In addition to this, there is an all-inclusive annual contribution divided into four brackets, based on

• the ISEE University Value, which is a measure of the yearly income of the student’s household
• the regularity of the years of enrolment at the university
• the number of credits obtained

The University of Catania, together with ERSU (the regional body for the right to study), offers to international students a variety of financial aid: scholarships, exemptions, reduction of fees and other forms of concession.

• University of Catania offers scholarships to international students who enrol in its degree courses in English
• ERSU scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit and family economic situation.The scholarship offers concessions such as a university tuition fee waiver, accommodation from the 1st October to the end of July, free meals at the university canteens, and possible additional assistance in cash. The call for application is usually announced mid-July on the ERSU website .
• Italian Government Scholarships are awarded every year to promote the Italian System of Higher Education: Grants for foreign citizens and Italian citizens living abroad awarded by the Italian Government (the call for application will be posted on this page ) Students with international protection (the 2023/24 call for application can be downloaded at this link , and the newer one will be posted on the CRUI website )

Cost of living in Catania

When compared to the average Italian city, Catania is pretty cheap!

The renting market is not as over-saturated as it is in other cities, and the cost of groceries is quite reasonable. Local markets offer a wide range of fresh products at affordable prices. In addition, the city is full of restaurants and cafés offering delicious meals at reasonable prices.

Accomodations

ERSU gives students the possibility to benefit from hospitality services in its residences for short periods. Those who are interested in having a bed – for maximum 90 days – in one of E.R.S.U. university residences can check the ERSU website . The service is subject to charges.

If you want to rent an apartment, or a room in a shared apartment, you can check out websites like Subito.it, Idealista.it, Immobiliare.it, or check the Unict student facebook groups and instagram pages.

Conclusion

All things considered, Catania is a great choice if you want to experience the italian way of living, and receive a modern medical education in an international environment. If you still have doubts about the bureaucratic process of applying, taking the IMAT, or enrolling, here’s a link to the Medicine and Surgery FAQ page , and to the University of Catania’s International Student’s Guide . If you’re intrigued by the idea of studying medicine in Italy, but not completely sold on Catania, here’s a look at other Italian universities offering degree courses in English.