| Type | State university |
|---|---|
| Established | 2014 |
Parent institution | University of Milan (UNIMI) |
| Location | , Italy |
| Campus | Laboratorio Interdisciplinare Tecnologie Avanzate (LITA) (administrative headquarters and classrooms),Segrate;Niguarda Hospital (clerkship for 3rd-6th years; classroom for 3rd year) |
| Language | English (lectures), Italian (clerkships) |
| Programme Coordinator | Prof. Anna Marozzi |
| Nickname | IMS UNIMI |
| Website | ims |
TheInternational Medical School (IMS) of thefaculty of medicine of theUniversity of Milan is apublicEnglish-languagemedical school located primarily inMilan and neighboringSegrate,Italy, with other teaching clinics in theMilan metropolitan area.[1][2] The school is officially recognized on the United Nations World Directory of Medical Schools.[3]
It is consistently ranked as one of the top 100 medical schools in the world.[4][5] According to the global rankings of theUSNWR in 2025, the University of Milan ranked 15th in the world inGastroenterology andHepatology,[5] 43rd inOncology,[5] 53rd inSurgery,Pharmacology andToxicology,[5] 54th inClinical medicine,[5] 64th inRadiology,Nuclear medicine andMedical imaging,[5] 68th inCardiology andCardiovascular systems,[5] 77th inInfectious diseases,[5] 78th inEndocrinology andMetabolism,[5] 80th inNeuroscience andBehavioural sciences,[5] and 98th inImmunology.[5] In 2025 the University of Milan ranked 1st in Italy and 80th in the world in the field ofMedicine according to theQS World University Rankings.[4]
The school's mission is to "provide graduates with both a solid, up-to-date scientific understanding of medicine, and a deep appreciation of the human and social complexities associated with health and disease.”[6]
The course was founded in 2010 as "MiMed" inHumanitas Hospital, as a combined effort of the University of Milan and the hospital. In 2014 the hospital opened its own private course, thus the university renamed the course as "International Medical School" and relocated it in L.I.T.A. (Laboratorio Interdisciplinare Tecnologie Avanzate) building in Segrate.
Admission to the school is dependent on a high score on theInternational Medical Admissions Test. Only the top 2% of test takers are admitted into the program. One-third of seats are reserved for students who are not citizens of theEuropean Union, nor certain affiliated states, such as Switzerland and Norway. Among the incoming class of 2015, less than half the students were Italian citizens.[7] The minimumInternational Medical Admissions Test score for first-round entry among EU-applicants was 50.1, representing approximately the top 2% of test-takers.[8] Tuition ranges from about €800 to €4060 per year.[9]
The school has a six-year program. The curriculum is block/module based rather than course based, following a similar format as American and Canadian Medical Schools. The first two years are dedicated to pre-clinical studies, focusing on anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, and microbiology.[10] The following four years areclinical, with frequent rotations in different medical and surgical departments in hospitals. The school emphasizesproblem-based learning,interdisciplinarity, andtranslational medicine. Students have the opportunity to do part of their education abroad via theErasmus Programme. All teaching is in English. Students are required to learnItalian,[1] and, in order to be graduated, must, in English, write and defend a final thesis.[11] The degree granted is aDottore magistrale, styled in English as aDoctor of Medicine.[12][13]
The first two years are mostly held in L.I.T.A, being considered "preclinical". Besides lectures, activities (e.g. Problem-Based Learning, classes with anatomical models, spirometry tests etc.) are provided to improve knowledge of critical topics. From the third year onwards the students alternate between lectures and practical clinical learning in hospitals.
Among the school's teaching hospitals, there are: