A surge in applications for general medicine training: more than a thousand in Campania

The call for applications for the specific training course in general medicine closed on July 27, with a result that exceeded all expectations: 5.965 applications for only 2.651 places available nationwide. This figure demonstrates a growing interest in general medicine, but also calls for a profound reflection on the challenges and reforms needed to support this career path.

Campania remains among the regions with the highest number of applications (1.080 for 240 places), while Valle d'Aosta records a lower number (10 applications for 10 places), but with significant growth in almost all other regions and autonomous provinces.

Silvestro Scotti, National Secretary of the Italian Federation of General Practitioners (FIMMG), emphasizes that "these numbers are not simply a celebration, but a clear sign of the trust young doctors place in general practice. It's a commitment that institutions must honor with concrete reforms that can no longer be postponed."

Among the requests made by FIMMG are:
– strengthening first-level diagnostics in medical practices;
– a radical reduction in bureaucracy, with simplified prescriptions and easier access to drugs and devices;
– a professional training program that involves more doctors in training;
– the recognition of general medicine as a university discipline, with research and teaching activities;
– a central role for general practitioners in the Community Homes, promoting multi-professional integration;
– tax incentives for professional activities that are strategic for the National Health Service;
– the implementation of specialist teleconsultations to speed up diagnostic processes;
– finally, a structured comparison with European organizational models.

The FIMMG has already made concrete commitments to achieve the PNRR objectives by 2026, but now it is up to the institutions—the Government and the Regions—to respond with legislative and contractual acts, particularly through the next National Collective Agreement (ACN) 2025-27 and the Budget Law.

"We appeal to citizens and politicians: we cannot betray these young doctors," Scotti concludes. "The country must guarantee them professional certainty and effective recognition in the healthcare system. What's needed are not just words, but concrete actions."

Attention is now focused on launching a reform process that can support the new generation of general practitioners and strengthen a sector crucial to public health.