VENICE – Technically it is called “Delegation to the Government for the review of the methods of access to master’s degree courses in Medicine and Surgeryin Dentistry and dentures and in Veterinary medicine”. In fact, the basic text adopted yesterday by the select committee of the Senate Education Commission, “practically unanimously” according to the whispers of Palazzo Madama (the session lasted just a quarter of an hour), promises to be the beginning of the end for the limited number in the training of future white coats: registration for the first semester without an entrance test and admission to the second subject to passing the exams. «It’s about time: great surgeons and doctors are selected during their studies and then compare themselves in the operating room and in the ward. Certainly not with an absurd initial barrage with cross tests”, exults the president Luca Zaia, noting “a shortage of 50,000 in Italy and 3,500 in Veneto”, while at a national level the leaders of the category speak of a “coup de grace for training” (Pierino Di Silverio, Anaao-Assomed union) which will cause “thousands of unemployed” (Filippo Anelli, Federation of Orders).
THE REFORM
This year’s selective tests remain confirmed in May and July. The objective of the transversal parliamentary front is instead to introduce, starting from the 2025/2026 academic year, the reform aimed at free enrolment. The bill provides for the identification of the disciplines in the biomedical, healthcare, pharmaceutical and veterinary areas that students must pass in the first semester in order to be admitted to the second. In case of failure, the training credits useful for changing faculties will be recognised. The ministries of University and Health will have to “identify the ways to make the overall number of enrollments in the second semester sustainable, also through the strengthening of accommodation capacities”, as well as (and this is the crucial point, given that it is not the graduates who are lacking , but rather specialists) “ensure alignment with the places available for access to post-graduate training courses”, also by introducing “a system for monitoring staff needs”.
POLITICS
Forzista minister Anna Maria Bernini (University) is confident: «We know that in the coming years we will be able to train at least 30 thousand future new doctors, to whom we must guarantee quality preparation, paying particular attention to the opportunities that new technologies offer in the medical field». The Northern League member Roberto Marti, president of the Education Commission, underlines: «It was an intense job that found the maximum convergence of all the political forces». The dem Andrea Crisanti, secretary of the commission, confirms the substantial agreement of the center-left, beyond some critical issues on the path: «In particular, the Democratic Party has highlighted how the proposed procedures do not allow students who have not met the requirements to continue medical studies to repeat the admission procedure. Furthermore, the text only identifies the minimum criteria for access to the degree course, without clarifying how the ranking is drawn up which must necessarily establish the students who can continue the study path based on the programmed number”. The latter in fact remains, notes the Melonian speaker Franco Zaffini, because what has been abolished is “the infamous Tolc” and that is “an extemporaneous, improvised evaluation, the result of luck”. Music for the ears of the Venetian Northern League members. «In November 2021 the Regional Council had approved my motion to ask the Government to abolish the limited number of students in the degree course and increase the number of specialization places», recalls Giuseppe Pan, who agrees with Sonia Brescacin on the fact that the selection should carried out «during the course of study» and not «with a random cross test».
HEALTH
Even for the infectious disease specialist Matteo Bassetti it is “a well done reform”. On behalf of the medical associations, however, President Anelli disagrees: «We are clearly against it, and this is absolutely not a common sense rule. Eliminating the restricted number in Medicine means that in 10 years, the time needed to train a doctor, we will have a plethora of graduates who will have no chance of finding a job as doctors. We will only produce unemployed people.” The trade unionist Di Silverio promises battle: «We will rally all students and specialists, the entire category, promoting signature collections and demonstrations throughout Italy so that everyone is aware that this is the final blow to medical training, to the profession and above all to the public healthcare system”. The University Union is also disappointed, but for the opposite reason: according to Federico Amalfa, the Government should even “aim for a serious overcoming of programming”.
