The Faculty of Medicine is part of the School of Health Sciences of the University of Thesalia and is dedicated to educating and training undergraduate and postgraduate students to be outstanding physicians and specialists in the life sciences, thoroughly prepared to meet the world’s medical needs. It seeks to attract students of the highest academic calibre who have been educated on volunteerism, altruism, and a genuine desire to help those in need.

The pedagogical approach adopted by the faculty includes:

• traditional classroom-based instruction;
• hands-on practical training, possibly in a laboratory or in the clinics;
• observation of surgical procedures;
• practice in the emergency room; and
• elementary microsurgical training.

Since 1996, when the first circle of the undergraduate programme was completed, and the first graduates-physicians obtained their diploma, the Medical School of the University of Thessalia yielded more than 560 new physicians to the medical workforce of Greece, most of whom were specialized in Greece, in EU countries and the USA. Today, they staff the Hellenic NHS personnel or work in the private sector. Up to now in the undergaduate programme 1300 students have been enrolled, however, with the decision of the Hellenic Minister of Education from the beginning of the academic year 2008-2009 the number of the students who are enrolled after Panhellenic testing examinations comes up to 80, who will be attending the medical undergraduate course yearly. It is of importance that the School of Health Sciences of the University of Thessalia is ranked fourth in students’ preferences after those for the Universities of Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras.

Undergraduate