In the end, the predictions that predicted more places than enrollments in the Faculty of Medicine were not only silenced but actually overturned: with the change introduced by the Ministry of Universities precisely because of the lack of candidates who had passed all three exams (Chemistry, Physics, and Biology), the publication of the ranking of admitted students, which took place this afternoon, revealed that a total of 22,688 students were "eligible" for admission to the Faculty of Medicine, but there are 17,278 places available, meaning approximately 5,000 students will have to choose a related course. The total number of eligible students is 25,387 because those admitted to Medicine must be added to the 1,535 admitted to Veterinary Medicine and 1,072 admitted to Dentistry.
Considering the three programs—Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Medicine—over 14,000 students have been assigned to their first-choice university. Ninety percent of the Medicine program is filled by those who have passed at least two exams in Chemistry, Physics, and Biology. For the 30,000 who have not passed any exams, the Ministry has provided the option of late enrollment in other degree programs; the deadline for applications is March 6 .
For University Minister Anna Maria Bernini, the results "are anything but a flop; they are very interesting, especially from a future perspective. " "The reform is working," the minister reasons, "but it has highlighted critical issues with the physics questions; I will discuss this with the rectors." While there were once "80,000 'invisible' students who were left out of the old tests, we have included 50,000 students in the university system, 17,000 of whom are on the Medicine rankings. Another 25,000 students with zero exams will have the opportunity to enroll in the second semester of any faculty ."
Today, Bernini met remotely with the rectors from the CRUI headquarters and began discussing areas that could be improved for admission to the faculty, starting with the composition of the commission —which must also include high school teachers and hospital doctors—and continuing with questions and syllabuses "which must be more targeted and compatible with the students' background."
