Young doctors: training and motivation as a bulwark against the brain drain

“Our National Health Service is one of the best in the world, and the commitment of young doctors will certainly help to bring care to where it is most needed, such as A&E departments”: said the Rector of UniCamillus University, Gianni Profita, highlighting the current context and the challenges still facing the healthcare system. He made these remarks at the Auditorium della Conciliazione in Rome, where UniCamillus’s White Coat Ceremony took place, during which 400 fourth-year Medicine and Surgery students received their white coats, symbolising their entry into the clinical placement phase.

This development comes at a time when there is particular focus on the future of the profession. According to recent analyses by Anaao Assomed, in fact, in 2025 the number of voluntary resignations by hospital doctors exceeded the number of retirements for the first time in a decade (3,767 voluntary resignations compared with 2,876 retirements). This figure brings the quality of training, the motivations of young doctors and the country’s ability to retain its talent back to the forefront of the debate.

For this reason, Profita thanked the Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani, who spoke about the role of the doctor, highlighting the human value of the profession. “Medicine,” said Tajani, “is not just science, but also the ability to understand and support people. Technology helps to save lives, but it must be guided by the doctor’s empathy, as they serve as a point of reference for those who are suffering and seeking answers. We need well-trained doctors who are ready to serve the community, especially in the country’s inland areas, where healthcare must ensure that support is close at hand for the most vulnerable people.”

“That is why,” the minister concluded, “it is important to invest in training and to support young people as they enter the world of work. Italia cannot afford to lose its talent: it would be a moral crime.”

Rector Profita went on to emphasise that “the University is home to an international community from 87 countries, and today these students are donning their white coats and becoming part of a mission that goes far beyond medicine: caring for people with expertise, courage and humanity. We need doctors who know how to listen, understand and leave no one behind. The white coat is a promise of a form of medicine that combines scientific excellence with compassion, because behind every patient there is a person, and behind every treatment there is the opportunity to restore trust and hope”.