Participant info
Do you think you have what it takes to compete in the International Anatomy Olympiad? First, make sure you check some important boxes:
Date
This year the Olympiad will take place on August 21-22 2026. Mark your calendars!
Registration
The registration for Anatomy Apocalypse 2026 begins on the 1st of March 2026.
Knowledge
The competition will cover the anatomy of all organ systems. While the Olympiad is designed for first-year medical students, it may be more suitable for second-year students at universities where anatomy is taught over two years.
Team
There is no age limit for participants. Teams must consist of 3 students.
Competition
The very first task is a theory test on a paper, which usually lasts about two hours. After the theory test, there will be some problem solving tasks. The teams take turns visiting different task-oriented rooms and each of these rooms has a different kind of challenge and a specific focus on an organ system. These rooms usually combine creativity with anatomical knowledge. Teams take turns visiting all the challenging rooms. Each station must be completed within 20 to 25 minutes. The second day also consists of examination stations focused on remaining organ systems. The second day ends with an award ceremony.
Cost
There is no participation fee.
Unfortunately, we cannot reimburse travel or accommodation expenses for participants. We encourage participants to discuss the possibility of cost reimbursal with their universities.
Transport
Your destination will be Tartu, Estonia. The competition will be held at the Biomedicum (Faculty of Medicine):
Biomedicum, Ravila 19, Tartu, Estonia, 50412
You may arrive in Tartu:
- By car
- By bus (intercity busses from Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius… to Tartu) (https://www.tpilet.ee/en/)
- By train (from Tallinn) (https://elron.ee/en)
- By airplane: Tallinn Lennart Meri airport or Tartu airport*
*Flights to and from Helsinki only
You may travel within Tartu:
- On foot
- By car – free parking is available close to Biomedicum and around the city (https://www.parkimine.ee/en/parking/tartu/)
- By Tartu city busses (https://tartu.pilet.ee/pages/contactless-payments)
- By Tartu Smart Bike Share (https://tartu.ee/en/bikeshare) (be aware – takes some time to set this up!)
- By taxi or Bolt/Uber (https://tartu.ee/en/taxis)
Accommodations
Some possible locations for a good night’s sleep. You may prefer to arrive the evening before in order to avoid an early morning travel.
- Tartu Downtown Hostel (https://tartuhostel.ee/en/)
- Hotel Tartu (https://www.tartuhotell.ee/en/welcome/)
- Hotel Dorpat (https://www.dorpat.ee/en)
- Hektor Hostel (https://hektorhostels.com/)
- TerviseksBBB (https://www.facebook.com/TerviseksBBB/)
- Airbnb (https://www.airbnb.com/)
- Couchsurfing (https://www.couchsurfing.com/)
Food
We will provide lunch and dinner on the first day and lunch on the second day. Refreshments will be available to maintain our contestants in good spirits. Dietary requirements are to be marked in the registration form.
You can find a map with some important places marked here:
International Anatomy Olympiad 