Medical Degree English Program (Ptychion Iatrikes)

About the course

A six-year (12-semester, 360 ECTS) medical degree taught in English at the University of Thessaly’s Faculty of Medicine in Larissa, in three parts: preclinical (semesters 1-5), clinical (semesters 6-10) and clinical practice (semesters 11-12). The final year includes 44 weeks of clinical training across the main specialties.

Entry requirements for Irish students

• The university assesses the Irish Leaving Certificate individually and does not publish a fixed Irish requirement. Contact admissions to confirm. You need a high school graduation certificate (or IB) and transcripts, translated into English.
• Admission test of 60 multiple-choice questions on Biology and Chemistry (can be taken online), plus a personal statement, CV and interview. You are exempt from the test if you hold BMAT, MediTest-EU, or A-Levels of at least AAB in Chemistry, Biology and one other subject.
• English requirement: B2, IELTS band 6 overall or TOEFL 79/120.

Working in Ireland afterwards

Because your medical degree comes from an EU/EEA country, the Medical Council of Ireland can recognise it automatically under EU Directive 2005/36/EC, as long as it is listed in Annex V (point 5.1.1). If that listing says the degree must come with an internship or state-exam certificate from your home country, you need to have that too, and you must also show your current professional standing and meet the English-language requirements. Graduates of EU/EEA medical schools may apply to the HSE for Irish intern posts, but only if their home-country degree does not already count as complete training. In older HSE intern guides (e.g., the 2022 guide), only graduates from medical schools in Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Iceland and Slovenia could apply. Graduates from other EEA countries (and Italians holding the ‘abilitante’ degree) were told they are not eligible, because they qualify directly for General registration. Applicants who need no work permit were matched before those who do. Please check the current eligibility list in the HSE intern guide for the year you apply. We could not confirm it for the July 2027 intake because the current HSE guide pages are password-protected.

How to apply

1. Watch for the 2027 callThe university says 2027-2028 application information will be announced in October 2026. In the last cycle the deadline was 15 May 2026.
2. Apply online and pay EUR 200Complete the online application with your passport or ID, school certificate and transcripts translated into English, IELTS or TOEFL results, CV and personal statement, and pay the non-refundable EUR 200 processing fee.
3. Sit the test and interviewTake the Biology and Chemistry test (60 multiple-choice questions) unless exempt, and the interview. In 2026 the exams were on 30 May.
4. Accept and pay the depositIf offered a place, pay the EUR 6,000 deposit within 15 days of acceptance, and the second instalment by 15 January.

Costs

• EUR 12,000 per academic year, paid in two instalments: a EUR 6,000 deposit within 15 days of acceptance and the second instalment by 15 January. There is also a non-refundable EUR 200 processing fee, paid in advance for the exam and interview. The university publishes a single fee and no separate EU rate, so expect to pay the full fee as an Irish student. No scholarships are currently available.

At a glance