Ask a 3rd year student at Pavia!

Hey guys!

I am a medical student at the University of Pavia, feel free to ask me anything in this thread!

Best of luck with your IMAT preparation,
Ari.

Hi ⁩
What universities in Italy offer single courses for medicine and surgery?

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Hello! Here’s a full list Best International Medical Schools in Italy for 2022

Hey,
How often are there examinations? Like is it 2 times a year solely after winter break or right before summer or can a student take an exam during a multitude of times during the year?

Hey @damndaniel ! We have 2 main exam sessions in Feb/March and then June/July
But you can also retake the exam every 3 months including the summer which is very helpful
In the 2nd year and after there are midterms if you attend class which are a small team that can really help you with the big exam score at the end of the semester
Overall I find it to be a very fair system

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Hey Ari,

I read somewhere online that Pavia has mostly oral exams, and only some are written. Is this true from your experience?

Thanks!

It’s only true after the 3rd year, but the first years are mostly written and MCQ based.

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Hi
I am from India and I would like to know about Pavia’s health insurance policy. I have a autoimmune disease and would like to know if I can study at Pavia

Hey! Students can get basic health insurance for 150/year where they get a family doctor that they can go and visit whenever they want, get prescriptions, and do tests with specialists.
I suffer from a chronic skin disorder, and I ask for enough cream for a year from back home, but I can also ask for it here.

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Is it true that starting in the second year you have to pass all exams to go into the next year? And if so, do students struggle with this rule?

Yes, that’s correct, but they will just allow you to repeat the year until you get all the credits so nothing to worry about.

Do you repeat the entire year? For example, if you have difficulty in one course and fail to meet standards…do you then have to repeat all the entire previous years courses or just that one?

Just one, and you are not actually repeating the year, if you complete during the year the courses that you failed, they will just promote you to the current year.

Understood, I like Pavia a lot - that was the only thing that kind of sounded like a red flag to be weary of.

Sounds like Pavia is a great choice, sounds like Milan is also a phenomenal course but also really intense working the students a lot providing little time for self study…no idea though

I think Pavia is a great choice only if you are someone who wants to study on your own and where you don’t really have to attend classes. I was only able to work on my projects because of how lenient they are, and some people need that structure.

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How are the professors at the uni? I heard sometimes it’s hard to understand the accent in the classes. Are they lenient or strict in terms of exams and grading? Are they open to meet students to discuss certain topics outside the classroom too? Pavia is my first choice so I’d like to know how mentally prepared I should be when I start!

The accent is not a problem at all, but in Pavia, most of the students eventually don’t attend classes until the 4th year, and the professors are pretty easygoing.

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Do you know if this is the case for other schools as well?

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I thought attendance was mandatory? Or is it just not enforced?

It isn’t enforced at the moment