Brazil is one of the best destinations for international students who want to study medicine at a public university. Many Brazilian ublic universities do not charge tuition for undergraduate programs, including Medicine, and PEC-G places are also tuition-free for eligible international students. Admission is competitive, and most undergraduate courses and entrance exams are in Portuguese, so applicants should check each university’s current requirements before applying.
How long does it take to complete a Medical degree in Brazil?
A medical degree in Brazil is normally a six-year undergraduate program. Current national curriculum guidelines require at least 7,200 hours of training and include an internato, or supervised clinical internship, lasting two years and accounting for at least 35% of the total workload.
What are the application requirements needed by Brazilian medical schools?
Application procedures vary by university. In general, applicants need secondary-school records, translated into Portuguese when required, and must apply through the route used by the institution. Public universities commonly use the vestibular and/or ENEM through Sisu; USP, for example, lists Fuvest, Sisu, PEC-G, transfer, diplomatic courtesy, and exchange-student routes.
Because most undergraduate teaching and entrance exams are in Portuguese, international students should expect to demonstrate Portuguese proficiency and should confirm the current language and documentation requirements with each university.
Top Medical Schools in Brazil
1. Universidade de São Paulo Medical School
The University of São Paulo (USP) remains one of Brazil’s leading public universities. In the QS World University Rankings 2026, USP is ranked 108th globally and 2nd in Latin America and the Caribbean.
FMUSP was founded in 1912, began its first class in 1913, and became part of USP in 1934. Today, the school offers five undergraduate courses: Medicine, Physiotherapy, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Medical Physics. The Medicine course is based at the Pinheiros campus.
The Medicine program has continued to update its curriculum, with reforms implemented from 2015 onward. Its teaching emphasizes integrated learning, clinical reasoning, health systems, and the social, economic, and cultural determinants of health.
2. Federal University of São Paulo – Paulista School of Medicine
Based in southeastern Brazil, the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) grew out of the Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). The Medicine course was created in 1933 and gave rise to the school; Unifesp was created in 1994 from the transformation of EPM into a university in the health sciences.
What sets Unifesp apart is its long-standing focus on health sciences, with special emphasis on biological sciences, human life, and the social, cultural, and historical contexts of health.
The Medicine course is a six-year, full-time program. Its curriculum is divided into a basic cycle in the first two years, professional studies in the third and fourth years, and the internato in the fifth and sixth years.
Clinical training is supported by the university’s health network and the academic structure of EPM, whose undergraduate offerings include Medicine, Biomedicine, Speech Therapy, Ophthalmic Technology, Radiology Technology, and Health Informatics.
3. Federal University of Minas Gerais – School of Medicine
The UFMG School of Medicine is one of the oldest and largest medical schools in Brazil. Founded in 1911 in Belo Horizonte, it admits 320 new Medicine students each year.
The school’s Medicine program aims to train physicians with strong scientific, ethical, and social responsibility across the different fields of medicine and surgery.
The course is organized across basic, clinical, and internship phases. UFMG’s Faculty of Medicine is part of a larger health campus that includes Hospital das Clínicas and other teaching settings used for clinical training.
Students also complete the mandatory Internato Rural, a three-month collective health internship in cities in the interior of Minas Gerais, where they work with the public health system under medical supervision.
4. The Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul – Faculty of Medical Sciences
The Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, also known as UFRGS, is a public university based in Porto Alegre. It began in 1895 as a group of schools in Porto Alegre and is considered one of Brazil’s largest universities.
UFRGS remains a highly ranked Brazilian institution. Times Higher Education places it 8th in Latin America in the 2026 Latin America University Rankings and 301–400 worldwide in Medical and Health subjects.
Its Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED) traces the Medicine course to 1898. The faculty’s undergraduate teaching is associated with Medicine and Nutrition, and its academic and clinical activities are closely connected with the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre.
The medical course aims to train physicians who can serve patients ethically and effectively in diverse contexts, while developing professional competence and a strong sense of responsibility to the community.
5. The Federal University of Santa Catarina – School of Health Sciences
Located in southern Brazil, UFSC is one of the country’s leading public universities. Established in 1960, it is ranked 8th among Brazilian universities and 23rd in Latin America and the Caribbean in the QS Latin America and the Caribbean University Rankings 2026.
The Medicine program is housed under the School of Health Sciences. Its curriculum focuses on student-centered learning, where the professor acts as a facilitator in the educational process.
At this medical school in Brazil, the first four years of the course introduce students to the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), with emphasis on clinical and surgical practice. Training takes place in the University Hospital, the Florianópolis primary health care network, laboratories, clinics, and other health care settings.
The last two years are devoted to internships in internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and family and collective health. These are usually completed in settings that include Joana de Gusmão Children’s Hospital, Carmela Dutra Maternity Hospital, Celso Ramos Hospital, and Nereu Ramos Hospital. The program lasts 12 semesters, or six years.
6. State University of Campinas School of Medical Sciences
Based in São Paulo state, the School of Medical Sciences (FCM) is Unicamp’s pioneering health sciences unit. The Medicine course began in 1963, preceded the founding of the university by three years, and remains the oldest course at Unicamp.
FCM’s undergraduate offerings include Medicine and Speech Therapy. It also has extensive graduate, residency, research, and extension activities in the health sciences.
The medical degree’s main objective is to develop physicians who can provide comprehensive care to individuals and communities with ethics, humanism, social responsibility, and a commitment to citizenship.
Medical assistance, teaching, and research are developed in a teaching-care complex that includes the Hospital de Clínicas, CAISM, the Hemocenter, the Gastrocenter, Sumaré State Hospital, and public health centers in Campinas.
The Medicine course has a minimum duration of six years and a maximum duration of nine years.
7. Universidade Federal de Pelotas Faculty of Medicine
The Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel) is a public educational institution based in Rio Grande do Sul. Its current institutional profile lists 22 academic units and more than 100 in-person undergraduate courses.
UFPel’s Faculty of Medicine had its formal authorization published in 1963, and the Medicine course was recognized by federal decree in 1966. In 2025, the course’s recognition was renewed by the Ministry of Education.
The Faculty of Medicine currently brings together the Medicine, Psychology, and Occupational Therapy courses. Its Medicine program emphasizes early patient exposure, primary care, family health, health promotion, and community service.
UFPel is included in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026, where it is listed in the 801–1000 band for Medical and Health subjects.
8. Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Faculty of Medicine
The Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) is one of Brazil’s major federal public universities. Its Faculty of Medicine was created on November 5, 1808, and its Medicine course is described by the university as the first course to begin medical training in Brazil.
The Medicine course is offered in person and full time, with a minimum duration of 12 semesters, or six years. Its curriculum includes at least 7,200 hours and a two-year internato.
The basic cycle is taught at the Center for Health Sciences on the Cidade Universitária campus. In the clinical and professional cycle, students train in UFRJ’s hospital complex, Family Health Clinics, emergency services, and other affiliated health care settings under faculty supervision.
The faculty’s departments include surgery, internal medicine, infectious and parasitic diseases, gynecology and obstetrics, primary care, orthopedics and traumatology, pathology, pediatrics, psychiatry and legal medicine, radiology, and other areas connected with undergraduate medical training.
9. Pontificia Universidade Catolica Do Rio Grande Do Sul School of Medicine
PUCRS is a private, nonprofit Catholic university connected with the Marist tradition. Founded in 1948, it has its main campus in Porto Alegre and a Tecnopuc unit in Viamão.
The School of Medicine was created on September 10, 1969, and the Medicine program was accredited by the federal government in 1976. The program combines technical knowledge, innovation, and human sensitivity, preparing physicians to see the patient as a whole.
Students gain practical experience in settings connected to the university, including the Vila Fátima University Extension Center for primary health care and PUCRS São Lucas Hospital, a nonprofit general hospital that supports patient care, teaching, and research.
PUCRS is ranked 1001–1200 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026 and 601–800 in Medical and Health subjects.
10. Rio de Janeiro State University Faculty of Medical Sciences
The Rio de Janeiro State University, also known as UERJ, is one of the better-known public universities in Brazil. Its Faculty of Medical Sciences was founded on December 15, 1935, and remains one of the state’s traditional centers for medical education.
The Medicine program is composed of three integrated cycles. First is the Basic Cycle, a three-semester period that covers the fundamental medical sciences. This is followed by the Clinical Cycle, where students study advanced medical subjects. The degree culminates with the internato, which includes supervised clinical exposure in areas such as internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, mental health, and emergency care.
Current international rankings place UERJ in the 1201–1400 band in the QS World University Rankings 2026 and in the 801–1000 band for Medical and Health subjects in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2026.
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