Medicine University of Tartu

Overview

The 6-year programme in Medicine is designed to teach students the core competencies required to become highly skilled doctors. The general objective of the Medicine programme is to train physicians who:

• can provide medical assistance of high quality corresponding to recent achievements in medicine and high ethical standards;

• enhance the awareness of society of the importance of measures of health promotion and disease prevention;

• wish to contribute by their activities to the development of medicine as a field as well as medical science;

• are willing to engage in self-education during their entire professional career.

It is a "hands-on" programme: students get a lot of practical training at the Tartu University Hospital, Estonia's largest medical care provider. It is the only medical institution in Estonia with specialists at such a high level in several fields.

Why study Medicine at the University of Tartu ?

• The University of Tartu belongs to the top 350 of the world's universities (THE World University Rankings 2025).

• You will work with actual patients in the largest medical care provider in Estonia, Tartu University Hospital.

• You will learn the Estonian language to work in local hospitals.

• After graduation, you can work as a doctor, enter postgraduate specialist medical training or a PhD programme in Medicine.

• 99% of Estonian doctors have graduated from the University of Tartu.

• The university belongs to the top 1% of the world’s most-cited universities and scientific institutions in Clinical Medicine (ESI 2023).

Career opportunities

After graduation, students can pursue a wide variety of careers internationally. Students have an opportunity to continue their education in a residency programme in Estonia or abroad and become doctor-specialists; study medicine at the doctoral level, or have a job requiring a medical degree.

Learning outcomes

A student who has completed the curriculum:

• has systemic and comprehensive knowledge of the concepts, theoretical principles and research methods used in medicine;

• has an attitude appropriate to the medical profession, sufficient professional knowledge and skills, and clinical experience;

• is familiar with and follows the ethics of science and medicine and the principles of evidence-based medicine;

• can provide qualified medical help, which is in line with the most recent medical achievements, to those in need;

• can pass on medical knowledge and conclusions based on such knowledge to patients, colleagues, and the general community;

• can work in a position that requires a doctor's qualification;

• is qualified to continue studies in specialised medicine or a doctoral programme;

• acknowledges the need to continue improving their knowledge and skills in medicine during their professional career with the help of in-service training;

• has sufficient knowledge and skills for scientific research in the field of medicine.