Transfer from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University Milan: Where to Continue Medicine in 2026

Is a transfer from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University possible in 2026?

Yes. A transfer from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan to another university in Europe is possible in 2026 for students of the Medicine and Surgery (English-taught course) programme, provided the transcript, the syllabi and the passed examinations are prepared properly and the receiving faculty has a place in the matching year. Medschool Experts checks every case individually and free of charge.

The course is a six-year single-cycle degree of 360 CFU with 60 credits per year. The first years cover the basic and preclinical sciences; the later years are clinical and are built around the San Raffaele hospital, where patient contact takes place in Italian. Admission runs through the university's own test rather than the national IMAT, and the private status means that tuition is a fixed annual fee instead of an income-based scale. That structure matters for a transfer, because receiving universities compare exactly these stages with their own curriculum. Here is the faculty at a glance.

Failed exams at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University: what now?

Students who failed exams at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in 2026 have three realistic options: resit within the faculty rules, repeat the year in Milan, or transfer to another university in Europe where the passed courses are credited and the failed ones are retaken in a different teaching environment. None of these ends a medical career. The third option is the one we deal with every week.

At San Raffaele the pattern we hear about most is intensity. A private university with a research focus tends to test at a demanding level and to give students less room to postpone examinations than large state faculties. A student who falls behind in year two can feel the pressure quickly, and the cost of a repeated year is not the low tuition of a state university but the full private fee. None of this cancels the courses you passed. Every passed examination with its CFU value remains recognisable elsewhere.

What matters now is your transcript. Every passed course with its credit value is an asset that travels with you. Before you decide anything, request an official transcript of records and the syllabi of all passed courses. Then speak to Marcel or another experienced consultant on our team. We look at the documents, not at the failed exam, and tell you which routes are open to you.

Why do students consider a transfer from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University?

Students consider a transfer from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University for four recurring reasons: the annual tuition of about 20,690 EUR on top of Milan living costs, the pressure of a demanding examination system, the Italian language on the wards, or a change in the family budget after the first years. Each reason has a matching solution, and a transfer is one of them.

Cost is the first topic in most conversations. With tuition of about 20,690 EUR and Milan rents of 1,000 to 1,500 EUR per month, a year at San Raffaele costs between 32,700 and 38,700 EUR in total, and over six years that exceeds 190,000 EUR. Families who planned with those numbers sometimes see their situation change, and students look for a way to keep their credits and lower the annual cost.

The second reason is the fit of the teaching model. The strong research orientation suits students who want an academic career, and it can feel too demanding for those who mainly want to become good clinicians. A faculty with a larger clinical emphasis or a different examination culture can be a better match. That is not a judgement on San Raffaele; it is a statement about fit.

Is a private Italian university different for credit transfer than a state university?

For the credit comparison it makes no difference. Receiving faculties assess the courses you passed, their CFU value and their syllabi, and they do not distinguish between state and private origin as long as the degree is a recognised Italian Laurea Magistrale in Medicine and Surgery.

What differs is the financial side. A state university charges income-based tuition of a few thousand euros at most, while San Raffaele charges a fixed private fee. A student who transfers to a state university in another country therefore often lowers the tuition line, and the difference over the remaining years can be substantial.

In the consultation we calculate the remaining cost of staying and of each realistic alternative, and we say plainly when staying at San Raffaele is the better choice for your plan.

How are credits from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University transferred to another university?

Credits from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University are transferred through the CFU system, which is identical to ECTS: 60 credits per year, one credit per 25 hours of student workload. Each passed examination is recorded in the transcript with its CFU value and a grade out of 30, and the university issues course syllabi in English. Integrated courses that combine several subjects are split into their components for the comparison.

The receiving faculty compares your passed courses with its own curriculum course by course. Subjects with matching content and comparable hours are credited; subjects that exist only in the new curriculum are added; failed or missing subjects are retaken. The result is the placement year. A student with two complete years often enters year three, sometimes with two or three additional modules to catch up in the first semester. Medschool Experts prepares this comparison before any application is sent, so that no faculty sees an incomplete file.

Two documents decide the outcome: the official transcript of records with grades and credits, and the syllabi of the passed courses. Faculties want to see hours, content and examination form for each subject. Students who collect these papers early, while they are still enrolled, save weeks later.

Which universities accept transfer students from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University?

Which universities accept transfer students from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University depends on the individual profile: the number of passed semesters, the grades, the language of the target programme and the year in which a faculty has free places. Medschool Experts checks these options individually for each student and does not publish lists of accepting universities, because such lists are outdated within a semester and mislead more than they help.

That is how transfers actually work. A faculty with three free places in year three in 2025 may have none there in 2026 and two in year four instead. Our consultants know current capacities because Medschool Experts places students at its partner universities every year.

A study transfer is a complex undertaking. Our experts have almost 10 years of experience in study transfers worldwide, which is why they plan and carry it out confidently. The consultation is free.

How is a degree from San Raffaele recognised, and what changes after a transfer?

A degree from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University is an Italian Laurea Magistrale in Medicine and Surgery awarded by a state-accredited university in an EU member state, and since 2020 the Italian degree includes the professional qualification, so no separate state examination follows. Under Directive 2005/36/EC it is automatically recognised throughout the EU and the EEA, and the Italian accreditation system holds WFME recognition, which keeps the USMLE route open. Nothing about this changes for the worse after a transfer to another EU university: the final diploma remains an EU degree with the same automatic recognition.

What changes is where you graduate, in which language the clinical years take place and how much the remaining years cost. The passed Milan courses are credited into the new programme, and the diploma at the end is issued by the university where you finish.

Students who already know where they want to practise should raise this early. Licensing authorities across the EU require professional-level language skills, and a transfer can be timed so that the clinical years happen in the language of your future workplace.

What does a transfer from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University cost compared with staying?

A transfer from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University changes two budget lines: tuition and living costs. In Milan a student pays about 20,690 EUR per year in tuition in 2026 (year 1) plus about 1,000 to 1,500 EUR per month for rent, food and transport. In total, one year in Milan adds up to roughly 32,690 to 38,690 EUR.

For students who leave San Raffaele for financial reasons, both lines can move. English-taught Medicine at several EU universities costs a fraction of the private Milan fee, and living costs in most European university cities are below those of Milan. The saving over the remaining years can reach a six-figure sum. Students who move for other reasons should still run the numbers, because the budget often settles a decision that was already leaning one way.

Whether a transfer saves money or costs money therefore depends on the receiving university and city. We put the real numbers side by side in the consultation, including one-off costs such as application fees, a deposit for accommodation and the move itself, so that the decision rests on a complete budget rather than on a tuition figure alone.

Can I transfer from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University without losing a year?

A transfer from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University without losing a year is possible when three things line up: your passed courses match the receiving curriculum closely, the application reaches the faculty before its deadline for the coming academic year, and the faculty has a free place in the year you are aiming for. Timing is the part students underestimate most.

Most European faculties decide on transfer applications for the autumn intake between spring and late summer. A student who contacts us in January or February has the whole window available. A student who starts in August often has to choose between a late-decided place for the same autumn and a well-prepared application for the following year. Medschool Experts does not quote a cap on recognised years and regularly achieves placements in year 3, 4 or 5 when the documents allow it.

Can I continue from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University towards the USA and the USMLE?

Yes. A student of Vita-Salute San Raffaele University can pursue the USA route in 2026 in two ways: graduate in Milan and apply for ECFMG certification on the basis of the WFME-recognised Italian accreditation, or transfer to another European university whose graduates take the same USMLE path. Both routes lead to Step 1, Step 2 CK and the residency match.

Timing is the practical question. Students who plan the USA route usually want to sit Step 1 after the preclinical stage. A transfer that lands you in year three or four of a new programme should therefore be planned around your Step 1 schedule, so that the move and the exam do not fall into the same term. We map this out with you in the consultation.

How does a transfer from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University work with Medschool Experts, step by step?

A transfer from Vita-Salute San Raffaele University with Medschool Experts follows six steps over roughly four to seven months: free consultation and transcript check, document collection in Milan, credit-recognition assessment, application to the matching faculties, admission decision, and finally visa or registration, housing and enrolment. Marcel or another experienced consultant on our team accompanies each step personally.

Step one is a conversation. You send us your transcript and tell us what you want: a lower budget, a different teaching setting, a fresh start after a failed year, or a degree that fits your career plan better. Within a week or two you get a realistic picture of the years and routes that fit your documents.

Step two takes place in Milan: you request the official transcript of records, the course syllabi in English and a certificate of enrolment, and we tell you exactly what each paper must contain. Steps three to six are ours to carry. We prepare the credit comparison, submit the applications, follow up with the faculties, secure the admission letter for the matching year and guide you through registration, housing and enrolment. Students who started in spring are usually sitting in their new lecture hall by autumn. Read how others experienced this on our student stories page, and then book your free consultation.