Many dream of becoming doctors and saving lives, but to see this wish fulfilled the path is long and tiring. Not everyone can cope with the stress and years of study required. And you, do you accept the challenge?
Steps
Part 1 of 5: High School
Step 1. Choose a suitable high school
Even if in Italy access to the admission tests for the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery is open to anyone, it is advisable to enroll in a higher institution in which great importance is given to subjects such as history, geography, literature, biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics: the quizzes of the test focus on these areas, it is better to have the opportunity to study and prepare calmly during the 5 years of high school, rather than being forced to learn dozens and dozens of concepts and topics in the months preceding the test.
Step 2. Commit to achieving a good academic record:
the final grade and your school average can help you to move up in the ranking for admission to the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.
Part 2 of 5: Taking the Admission Test
Step 1. Prepare for the admission test
The Faculties of Medicine and Surgery have a limited number (i.e. the places available are limited), therefore it is necessary to pass an admission test and enter the ranking for assigning places. The admission test is unique on a national level. It consists of 60 questions (each of which has 5 answer options) divided as follows: 4 of general culture, 23 of logical reasoning, 13 of biology, 14 of chemistry and 6 of Physics and Mathematics.
- The quiz programs are available on the MIUR website, where you can also find the competition notices. On sale there are numerous preparation texts, with in-depth analysis and test simulations, or you can review your school books and search the internet for admission tests from previous years to practice. Also, find out if they organize preparation courses in your city (free or paid).
- Familiarize yourself with the scoring mechanism. For each correct answer you are awarded 1, 5 points, 0 for each answer not given, while for each wrong answer you are deducted 0, 4.
- The admission test, according to the latest regulations, takes place in April, while the final rankings are published around September.
- Always refer to the Ministerial Decree published by MIUR (Ministry of Education, University and Research): the procedures for carrying out the competition may change by decision of the Ministry!
Step 2. Choose the university to attend
The admission ranking is unique at national level, and is drawn up on the basis of the scores obtained by all participants in the national test. You can choose up to 3 locations for which to apply: the assignment of seats takes place by means of a sliding mechanism based on preferences, the score obtained and the places available.
- Choose wisely the universities for which to apply. Consider the number of places available, the distance from home, the costs and the reputation of each university.
- You must take the test in the location you indicated as "first choice".
Part 3 of 5: Attending the University
Step 1. Be prepared to work hard
Attending the medical school is not a game. Hours and hours of study are required, your social life will suffer and you will probably not be able to sleep as much as you want. It is an extremely heavy commitment.
Step 2. Make sure you know what awaits you after being admitted
The Master's Degree course in Medicine and Surgery is the longest: it lasts 6 years! Here is, more or less, what you face in recent years (the distribution of the teachings may vary from one university to another, because each has its own organization of studies):
- First three years: acquire the fundamentals of medical sciences through the study of basic subjects (biology, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, general pathology, microbiology, pharmacology); you learn to collect a medical history, to perform a physical examination, and to know the diagnostic principles of diseases.
- From the fourth to the sixth year: studies in detail the pathologies of interest of the main clinical and surgical disciplines (cardiology, pulmonology, infectious diseases, allergology, rheumatology, nephrology, internal medicine, anesthesiology, endocrinology, neurology, psychiatry, pediatrics, gynecology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, urology, general surgery, thoracic surgery, cardiac surgery, etc.), and frequent the various specialist departments in rotation.
- You can also ask your manager to be able to attend a certain department more assiduously and regularly, if you like this particularly: this is the internship period, and is usually requested by the Professors also for the purpose of the Thesis (see the following passage).
- Try to get good grades. Your CV is important both for the purposes of the graduation grade and for the admission rankings to the Specialization Schools.
Step 3. Ask for the Degree Thesis in the specialty of your interest
When you have a more precise idea of what is addressed in each discipline, identify the one you like best, for which you are more inclined or would like to know more, and talk to your professor to get the opportunity to fill in the thesis of Degree in that area of specialization..
- The Degree Thesis is a text (indeed, a book) that the student writes to demonstrate his / her knowledge on a specific topic, chosen together with his "Supervisor Professor".
- Usually, the Advisor Professor wants you to attend his department for a certain period of time before graduation (internship period). Find out about the length of the internships required, sometimes they can be as long as two years!
- If you intend to enroll in a specialization course, apply for the Degree Thesis for a discipline similar to the one you have chosen for the specialization: you will be awarded a bonus in the admission rankings.
Step 4. Graduates
At the end of the Master's Degree Course in Medicine and Surgery you earn the title of "Surgeon"; however, you cannot practice medicine yet, you must first obtain a license!
Part 4 of 5: Getting Licensed for the Medical Profession
Step 1. Pass the State Exam to qualify for the exercise of the medical profession
The State Exam consists of a practical internship and a written test.
- The practical internship lasts three months, divided as follows: 1 month in a medical ward, 1 month in a surgery ward and 1 month in a general practitioner.
- The practical test instead consists of two parts, each of which consists of 90 questions to be solved.
Step 2. Join the Order of Physicians and Surgeons
Registration is mandatory, and the application must be submitted to the Order of the province in which one resides, which, before accepting it, will check that all the necessary requirements are met (degree, qualification, etc.).
Step 3. You are finally a doctor
Having obtained the qualification, you can finally practice the medical profession. At this point you have three options:
- Stop here. With the title of Surgeon and the license you are authorized to prescribe drugs and you can work essentially in the medical guards, but not in the hospital.
- Enroll in a specialization course. In order to be admitted to a graduate school you will have to face a national competition again. The graduate school lasts 4-5 years, depending on the chosen discipline.
- Attend a Specific Training Course in General Medicine. Also in this case you will have to face an admission competition, which however is at a regional level. The course has a duration of three years.
Part 5 of 5: Are You the Right Person for This Job?
Step 1. Be aware of the time and money required
Put simply, becoming a doctor requires a lot of sacrifice. Years and years of studying, earning nothing, putting aside fun, lost sleep and so much stress that you want to pull your hair out.
Step 2. If you have a natural penchant for science, you have an advantage
To survive in such a competitive and stressful field, you must possess a natural intelligence and a propensity for science. Everything will be easier for you if you are really interested in it. If not, it will be a very hard and long road.
Step 3. Be good with people
Doctors are not only drug addicts obsessed with the functioning of the human organism, they are also quite "social" beings. If you want to be a good doctor, you also need to know how to deal with people.
Also, a genuine interest in others will help you move forward through the most stressful times
Step 4. Don't do it for the money
It is true that doctors earn enough, but if money is the only thing that interests you in the profession, you will not last long. You will find yourself with thousands of euros spent on taxes and books, no desire to work, and years of life thrown away. If you want to be a doctor for financial stability, you better change your plans for the future.
Step 5. Know that it's not all exciting
Believe it or not, at least a quarter of being a doctor consists of paperwork. There are many doctors who, interviewed, declare that they would make different choices if they could go back in time. You probably won't have all the contact you want with patients, and you'll have to deal with more paperwork than you realize.
Advice
- Talk to other doctors who already work in your field of interest.
- Not everyone who aspires to become a doctor succeeds. There are many other professions in the health area including (for example) the nurse, the physiotherapist, the laboratory technician, the social health worker (whose qualification is awarded after a one-year course).
- If you do not pass the admission test, and you want to try again the following year, you can enroll in a Degree Course that in the first year has courses compatible with those of the first year of Medicine and then have them validated in case of admission to the Faculty.
Warnings
- Degree courses in Medicine and Surgery in English have been launched in some universities. If you are interested, find out on the MIUR website about how to access.
- During your career you will have to attend numerous refresher courses (Continuing Medical Education, ECM).
- Don't miss the deadlines for the admission calls.
- Try to get some experience in the medical field, perhaps with voluntary work, before attempting the admission contest. If you find that it is not a suitable field for you, it is useless to register for the competition. You risk wasting time and money.
- Be prepared to compete with other students.
