The debate held in Teramo dealt with a delicate and controversial topic, concerning the medical-scientific field and in presence of numerous experts who argued the issue on many standpoints: from academic placement tests to enter the Faculty of Medicine, until the sadly-known phenomenon of Italian doctors willing to work abroad.

Among the different current issues discussed during the meeting, experts stressed the matter of reforming Medicine Schools of Specialization and the project of abolishing academic placement texts. Other issue debated during the meeting was Europe.

Italy currently holds the European record for the oldest doctors: more than one out of two (52%) is over 55 y.o., comparing to UK (13%), Germany, France and Hungary (40-46%). Furthermore, surveys show that there are around 10/16 thousand unemployed young doctors. Saro Paparoni, cardiologist at the hospital of Teramo and CIMO (doctors Union) vice-secretary, explained that: “Italian healthcare system urges a structural reform, and reconsidering the current disequilibrium between education and job market is paramount. It is sufficient to think about all the huge number of doctors yearly leaving Italy to work abroad after the School of Specialization undertaken in Italy. This phenomenon depletes considerably the quality of Italian healthcare. Furthermore, once they come back in Italy they find countless difficulties in being re-placed into the national ‘standings’: for this reason, it is clear how the Italian system urges a full revision, and this is why, as CIMO, we ask for transparency in selection procedures, and the recognition of working experiences abroad, as well as equalizing the Italian system to other European countries’ systems.”