Over 10 thousand aspiring family doctors ‘rejected’, shortage alarm is growing

The role of the family doctor is considered strategic to accelerate anti-Covid vaccinations, yet too little investment continues to be made to increase their presence in the area. Or even just to compensate for the numerous retirements estimated over the next few years. Just think of the record number of ‘failed’ in the entrance test for the specific training course in General Medicine, which was held less than a month ago. The outcome of almost all the rankings is clear: out of 11,704 candidates only 1 out of 10 made it. This was reported by Consulcesi who, following the numerous ‘discarded’ doctors, has set up a real legal task force with the aim of mitigating this ‘training funnel’. “From North to South, participation in tests to access the training course in general medicine has reached important numbers, almost 12 thousand candidates, a pity that only a little more than 1,300 future family doctors have made it”, comments Massimo Tortorella. president of Consulcesi. “Almost 90% of the candidates have been rejected and a good chunk of them will decide to go abroad, leaving our country with a shortage of family doctors,” he adds. Not even the pandemic has served to reconsider this ruthless selection system that does not always reward the most deserving. “The consequences do not only affect the careers of doctors, but also the efficiency of the national health service and, consequently, the quality of the care and assistance offered to citizens”, underlines Tortorella. “Soon many Italians will find themselves without a family doctor. Enpam had released some quite alarming data – Tortorella recalls – assuming that 21,700 family doctors would retire by 2023, or over 3,000 every year.” It will probably happen just when the their presence on the territory will become even more important for the management of a new emergency, from the current Covid-19 to the post Covid one “, explains Tortorella. The task force developed by Consulcesi will try to remedy this distortion – reads a note – in search of legal solutions to help as many excluded candidates as possible access the specific training course in General Medicine, and perhaps create a precedent that will serve to prevent or at least limit the effects of the more problematic training funnel that characterizes the Italian training system.