MEC Authorizes PUC‑Rio to Launch Medicine Degree in 2027

Overview

• PUC‑Rio received formal authorization from the Ministry of Education on Friday, November 13, 2026, to open a six‑year undergraduate Medicine course that begins in the first semester of 2027.
• The new program earned the MEC’s maximum score (conceito 5) and will admit 100 students a year, with selection via PUC‑Rio’s vestibular, the ENEM, or several international exams.
• Clinical training will be delivered through a partnership with the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Health Secretariat, which committed 836 SUS beds across municipal hospitals and primary‑care units for student rotations.
• The curriculum emphasizes technology and research with an Artificial Intelligence discipline taught in seven of the first eight periods, a new Department of Medicine led by Margareth Dalcolmo, and renovated teaching facilities on campus.
• PUC‑Rio plans social scholarships of up to 100% while reporting on tuition is mixed in the press — Valor Econômico cites R$14,600 per month but other outlets say fees are not yet finalized, a detail that will affect access as admissions proceed.