Rome – The ranking for admission to the Medicine program has reversed recent forecasts: the number of eligible candidates exceeds the number of available places. Of the 22.688 candidates who qualified for the Medicine program, there are actually 17.278 places available. This means that approximately 5 students, despite meeting the requirements, will be unable to enroll and will have to switch to similar programs.
Overall, including Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine, the total number of eligible students reaches 25.387: in addition to those admitted to Medicine, there are 1.072 eligible students for Dentistry and 1.535 for Veterinary Medicine. Adding the three programs together, more than 14 students have been assigned to the university indicated as their first choice.
The data also reveals the composition of the ranking: 90% of those admitted to Medicine are candidates who passed at least two out of three exams in Chemistry, Physics, and Biology. For those who failed any exams—over 30 students—the Ministry has provided a window for late registration for other degree programs, with a deadline of March 6th.
Universities Minister Anna Maria Bernini endorses the reform's approach: "The results are anything but a flop; they are very interesting, especially from a future perspective."
The minister, however, admits critical issues with the physics exams and announces a meeting with the rectors. According to Bernini, the number of students entering the university system has expanded compared to the past, with the possibility—for some of those who failed their exams—of enrolling in other faculties for the second semester.
Following a remote meeting with the rectors at the CRUI headquarters, a review of procedures was also discussed: from the composition of the commission (with the possibility of involving high school teachers and hospital doctors) to the fine-tuning of questions and syllabuses to make them more consistent with the students' preparation.
UDU announces a class action appeal
The University Union's interpretation is different, announcing a class-action appeal. For the UDU, the result was predictable, given the number of places available at public universities, and the way the ranking is managed risks placing the burden of changing locations on "waiting" candidates, chasing available places. On the legal front, the Leone-Fell study points to a further anomaly: the concentration of the highest scores in four universities: Naples, Bari, Catania, and Catanzaro.
Regarding exam sessions, 50.859 exams were taken in the first session and 45.789 in the second (these numbers cannot be added together because they partially overlapped). Those who passed the first session were 16.401 in Biology, 12.713 in Chemistry, and 5.557 in Physics; in the second session, 4.804 in Biology, 11.706 in Chemistry, and 5.602 in Physics. Valid grades, i.e., grades above 18, were 19.089 in Biology, 21.763 in Chemistry, and 10.022 in Physics.
Students will now have to complete the enrollment process or, for those with deficiencies, retake one or two exams at their assigned university. The Ministry has prepared a handbook to guide the procedures.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
The situation regarding admission to medical school is very complicated, and it seems there are more eligible students than places, so I wonder if it will be possible for everyone to enroll. I hope the Ministry finds an effective solution.