The protesters complain of training bottlenecks that prevent them from choosing a specific field, even as over 10,000 specialists are set to retire in Italy over the next five years, creating a vacuum that is not being filled.
Only around 4000 specialisation grants are allocated by the government, a figure far lower than those doctors who want to specialise.
That forces many Italians to leave their homeland for further training abroad, depleting the nation of valuable medical expertise.
“The efforts and sacrifices that health workers have made in recent months must not remain in vain, which is why serious medical training reform is urgent and necessary,” organisers wrote in a statement.
The one-day protest took place in 21 Italian cities, including Milan, Naples, Bologna, Genoa, Turin, Florence and Palermo.
“By 2025, more than 60 per cent of our specialist and general practitioner colleagues will retire,” organisers said in a statement.
“Given the current health policy, there will not be enough staff to replace them.
“The right to health care and health of all citizens will therefore be jeopardised.”
Many of the doctors and students involved in the protests helped care for patients during Italy’s coronavirus outbreak, which has killed over 33,000 people.
