Failing Medical School at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki? Exams, Dismissal and Transfer (2026)

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki medical school: key facts

• Programme: 12 semesters and 360 ECTS credits (76 compulsory courses with 350 ECTS plus 5 electives with 10 ECTS).
• Three study units: pre-clinical (semesters 1 to 4), clinical (semesters 5 to 10) and clinical practice (semesters 11 and 12).
• Grades run from 0 to 10; the pass mark is 5.
• Each semester ends with a three-week exam period; a three-week resit period in September covers both semesters.
• Progression between units needs at least two thirds of the ECTS credits of the previous unit.
• Maximum study duration: 18 semesters, which is 9 years.
• Governing rules: Law 4957/2022 (Article 76) and the Undergraduate Study Regulation of the Department of Medicine.

Two layers of rules apply. The national layer is Law 4957/2022, which fixes the maximum study duration and deletion. The local layer is the Undergraduate Study Regulation of the Department of Medicine, which fixes exam periods, retakes and progression. Both are summarised below. Departments update their regulations from time to time, so confirm your own case with the Secretariat before you decide anything.

Exam periods at AUTH Medicine

The Department Assembly sets the exam dates, and they must fall inside the exam periods (Regulation, Art. 14). You do not need a separate course declaration for September (Art. 4(8)).

You must finish the laboratory, tutorial, clinical and seminar parts of a course before you are admitted to its exam (Art. 14(3)). For clinical courses, the required clinical skills in your log-book must be complete first (Art. 3(12)).

Students who have finished the 12th semester may also sit winter-semester courses in June and spring-semester courses in February (Art. 14(2)). The recommended grade mix is progress during the semester (10 to 20%), a short assignment (30 to 40%) and the final exam (40 to 50%).

Retakes at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki medical school

The limit that counts in practice is not a number of attempts. It is the maximum study duration, covered below. Every failed attempt uses time from that clock.

The Regulation does not allow a re-examination or grade revision in principle. There is one collective exception: the Assembly may propose a re-examination if more than 85% of the examinees failed and at least 10 students sat the exam (Art. 15(5)).

After a result you may view your written script and ask how it was graded. A grade can be corrected only for a clerical or cumulative error, backed by the examiner in writing and approved by the Assembly (Art. 15(4)).

Progression to the clinical years

You may carry one third of the first unit's ECTS into the second unit. To enter the third unit, you must then pass that remaining third of the first unit. Up to one third of the second unit's ECTS can be carried into the third (Regulation, Art. 3).

A clinical course that you completed with sufficient attendance is credited and is not repeated (Art. 12(4)). That protects the rotations you have already done.

Maximum study duration and deletion at AUTH Medicine

Part-time semesters count as half a semester, and approved suspensions are not counted. Deletion is automatic. It takes place about two months after the September resit results are posted and before 15 December of that year. Students with an extension are deleted after the extension ends.

Deletions started at the end of 2025. Students with a certified disability of 50% or more are exempt, as long as the certification is valid.

Extension, extraordinary exam and appeals

You also need at least two assessments in the last four semesters, with at least one passed. The Department Assembly decides. During an extension you cannot study part-time or suspend your studies.

After the extension, students with up to two courses still missing can request an extraordinary exam within 10 days of the last results. The results are due by 15 December, and deletion waits until they are issued.

Serious health reasons of the student, a first-degree relative, a spouse or a partner can justify exceeding the maximum (Article 76(2)). Request reconsideration of a rejection with the Secretariat within 7 calendar days; the Assembly then decides within 10 days.

Illness, disability and part-time study

Part-time study also applies during pregnancy and up to one year after birth, and to students with chronic or serious health problems. You may take at most half of the semester's courses. In the final year, you must have completed at least 75% of the courses to apply.

After the maximum is exceeded, a suspension for serious health reasons is possible. Student status is then inactive, and the suspended period does not count toward the duration.

For students with conditions such as dyslexia or serious motor or vision impairments, examiners must make special arrangements for oral exams (Regulation, Art. 14(17)).

Why students get stuck in Medicine

The Medicine curriculum is large and the unit boundaries are firm. A few missed exams in the first four semesters can build up against the two-thirds threshold. Work, family, health or money add pressure.

Fit matters as well. Some students learn better with continuous assessment, smaller groups or English-taught teaching. That is a question of format, not of talent.

Switch early: a checklist

• Add up your passed ECTS credits and compare them with the two-thirds threshold of your unit.
• Count your semesters against the 18-semester limit; part-time semesters count as half.
• Ask the Secretariat for an official record of passed courses, grades and ECTS credits.
• Collect your school-leaving certificate and your identity documents.
• Write down every deadline: the 30-day extension window and the 10-day extraordinary exam window.
• Book the free consultation before the September results, not after.

Your next four weeks

Week 1: Request your academic record and note your passed ECTS credits. Book the free consultation.

Week 2: Send Medschool Experts your record and documents. We check them and name the options that fit your profile.

Week 3: Decide on the programme and prepare the application documents.

Week 4: Submit the applications. You can keep your place at AUTH until you have a confirmed offer.

Transfer from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki medical school

A study transfer is a complicated undertaking. Recognition of credits, admission rules, deadlines and documents differ from one university to the next. Our experts have almost ten years of experience with study transfers worldwide, so they plan and carry it out confidently.

We aim for no loss of time: entry into a higher year where your profile allows it. Every case is checked individually. We have 25+ partner universities in Europe for exactly this situation.

Returning home with an EU degree

Directive 2005/36/EC provides for automatic recognition of the listed medical qualifications. You apply to the licensing body of the country where you want to work. If you stay in Greece, the same degree route is open. More background is in our guide to deletion and transfer in Greece.

Costs of continuing Medicine abroad

The consultation itself costs nothing. Tuition depends on the programme and the university, so we quote it for your case once we have seen your record.

How Medschool Experts helps after failed exams at AUTH

We check your record, choose from our 25+ partner universities, prepare the applications and guide you through enrolment. The aim is no loss of time. Where the profile allows, you enter a higher year.