Italian for IMAT Students: The Words You Need in Your First Month
You got a place, or you are aiming for one, to study medicine in English in Italy. Your lectures will be in English. Your landlord, the bank, the pharmacy and, soon enough, your patients will not be. This guide gives you the Italian words to learn first, in the order you will need them, with audio on every word.
Why Italian matters even in an English-taught course
The IMAT is the entrance test for English-taught medicine programmes at Italian universities, and those programmes are taught in English. But the country around them runs in Italian. The University of Pavia puts it plainly on its medicine programme page: studying medicine in English does not mean practising medicine in English, because patients on the ward speak Italian. Pavia also explains that international students take Italian language classes in the first year, that the Italian then becomes more medical, and that students are expected to reach B1 so they are ready for patient contact. Other universities have their own rules, so check yours.
That is the practical reason to start early. The earlier you can handle daily life in Italian, the more of your energy is left for the medicine.
Your first month, week by week
The word lists below are taken from the Memvark Italian course. They are chosen for usefulness, not as an official list. Press the speaker next to any word to hear it.
Week 1: survive the first days (16 words)
Greetings, directions and numbers. You will use these from the airport onwards.
Week 2: housing, money and paperwork (17 words)
Finding a room, paying bills and sorting out the practical side.
Week 3: university life (16 words)
The words you will meet on timetables, noticeboards and in lectures.
Week 4: body, health and the hospital (24 words)
A first set of medical words. You will hear these on the ward long before you can use them, so recognising them early pays off.
Five phrases you will hear from a doctor
These are standard phrases a doctor uses when examining a patient. You will hear them, and later you will say them.
A simple four-week plan
| Week | Focus | Daily habit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greetings, directions, numbers | 10 minutes: 8 to 10 new words, say each aloud |
| 2 | Housing, money, paperwork | 10 minutes: new words plus a review of week 1 |
| 3 | University life | 10 to 15 minutes: read your timetable and notices in Italian |
| 4 | Body, health, hospital | 15 minutes: medical words, then play the five phrases aloud |
Do not worry if you miss a day. Spaced repetition is built for it: the next review simply catches up. See how to learn Italian vocabulary so it sticks for the method.
The best way to study these words
Reading a list once will not make the words stay. You need to bring each word back just as you are about to forget it, and to hear it said aloud. That is what flashcards with spaced repetition do.
A disclosure first: we make Memvark, so we list it first. We have said below why, and where the alternatives are stronger.
- Memvark: built for Italian only, so nothing to set up. It has a Medicine & Healthcare topic of 80+ words, a Body & Health topic, 4,000 words in all, the full alphabet and pronunciation guide, tap-to-hear audio, 264 sentences, 50 verbs and spaced repetition built in. The first 20 words are free to try, and the rest needs a subscription. It is Italian only, and you cannot design your own cards.
- Anki: free on computers and Android, extremely flexible, and you can build your own medical deck. The cost is setup time, and you have to find or make your Italian content.
- Quizlet: quick to start, with many user-made sets. Quality varies, and some features are paid.
We compare all three in detail in the best Italian flashcard apps.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Italian if the IMAT and the course are in English?
The IMAT and the medicine programmes it admits to are taught in English, but life in Italy and hospital placements happen largely in Italian. For example, the University of Pavia states that students need Italian to talk with patients and must reach B1 so they are ready for patient contact. Check the requirements of the university you are applying to.
How much Italian should I learn before I arrive?
Any amount helps. A few hundred words covering greetings, directions, numbers, shopping and housing will make your first weeks much easier. You do not need to be fluent before you arrive.
What are the most important Italian words for medical students?
Start with body parts, common symptoms and the hospital vocabulary you will hear on the ward, such as paziente, dolore, febbre, diagnosi and terapia. The lists in this guide give you a first set, with audio.
Is Memvark enough to learn Italian for medicine?
Memvark teaches vocabulary, sounds and verbs, including a Medicine & Healthcare topic. Speaking and listening to real conversations need practice with people, and your university's Italian course will help with that. Use Memvark alongside those.
How many words should I learn a day?
Between 5 and 15 new words a day is realistic if you review the old ones too. Ten minutes every day works better than one long session a week.
Sources: University of Pavia, Medicine and Surgery (Harvey), Learning Italian for clinical practice; International Medical Admissions Test (Wikipedia). Admission rules and Italian requirements change and differ between universities, so always check the official notice of the university you are applying to.