Milan, June 29, 2023 – The first graduates of the international and inter-university Master's degree program in English, Medicine and Surgery, a joint degree between the University of Milano-Bicocca and the University of Bergamo, have finally reached their goal. These graduates have been trained not only in medical disciplines but also in bioengineering and technological disciplines.
The Single-Cycle Master's Degree program, based at the University of Milan-Bicocca, was established through collaboration between the University of Milano-Bicocca, the University of Bergamo, the University of Surrey, and Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo, which serves as the location for lectures and internships. It is recognized as the Assistance Hub for the University of Milano-Bicocca (Teaching Hospital, according to Regional Decree No. XI_7437_30/11/2022).
On Monday, July 3, 2023, starting at 8:30 AM, the first seventeen students will present and defend their research theses at the University of Milan-Bicocca. These theses are all related to clinical research and have been the focus of the students' final year of training.
Following the thesis discussions, a significant celebration will take place in the Aula Magna of the University, with speeches from the Rector of the University of Milan-Bicocca, Giovanna Iannantuoni, the Rector of the University of Bergamo, Sergio Cavalieri, the General Director of ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Maria Beatrice Stasi, a representative from the University of Surrey, the Director of the Department of Medicine and Surgery at Milan-Bicocca, Pietro Invernizzi, and the President of the Coordinating Teaching Council of the Master's degree program in Medicine and Surgery, Maria Grazia Strepparava. Subsequently, the graduates will be awarded a Joint Degree Diploma issued by the University of Milano-Bicocca and the University of Bergamo.
To highlight the valuable synergy among all the stakeholders involved, a second celebration event titled "Sapore di futuro" (Taste of the Future) will take place on the following day, Tuesday, July 4, at the Auditorium "Lucio Parenzan" of Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo. This event will focus on the role of the hospital in the education of future doctors and will involve the participation of Guido Bertolaso (Welfare Councilor of the Lombardy Region), Giorgio Gori (Mayor of Bergamo), Alessandra Gallone (Delegate Councilor of the Minister of University and Research), Maria Beatrice Stasi (General Director of ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII), Giovanna Iannantuoni (Rector of the University of Milan-Bicocca), Sergio Cavalieri (Rector of the University of Bergamo), and a representative from the University of Surrey. The event will feature speeches by Caterina Rizzi, Full Professor in the Department of Management, Information, and Production Engineering at the University of Bergamo and lecturer in the Medicine and Surgery program, Stefano Fagiuoli (Director of the Department of Medicine at ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII and lecturer in the Medicine and Surgery program), and Nicola Guindani (Orthopedic Surgeon at ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII and tutor in the Medicine and Surgery program). The event will be moderated by Enrica Capitoni (Head of University Training for ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII) and Maria Grazia Strepparava (President of the Degree Program). Testimonials from two of the newly graduated students from the School of Medicine and Surgery will also be included in the program. The ceremony will conclude with the awarding of diplomas to the new doctors, followed by a final toast.
The Medicine and Surgery Single-Cycle Master's degree program represents a challenge in the field of education for several reasons. It aims to train doctors who adopt a hands-on approach from the beginning and place value on the teaching role of one of the main regional hospitals, Papa Giovanni XXIII. The program emphasizes early patient contact (starting from the second year), interactive learning methods to develop the ability to solve critical situations, an approach to prevention and community medicine, sensitivity to ethical aspects, as well as the economic impact of healthcare. Additionally, the program has a strong international focus, with all courses taught in English, providing a gateway to a research career. These are just a few of the strengths of this educational proposal.
One highly innovative aspect is the inclusion of a significant portion of training in technologies developed and applied in healthcare. Only in this way can the doctors of the future become active agents in shaping new perspectives rather than passive beneficiaries of existing ones.
The medical students at Milan-Bicocca are the first to graduate with this dual profile of skills, and their education is just the initial essential step towards a future in which, without forgetting the human dimension of patient relationships, the care of human beings can be carried out through increasingly sophisticated systems and technologies. This is a project in which the two universities, Milan-Bicocca and Bergamo, and Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital are closely collaborating, including through the ANTHEM project (AdvaNced Technologies for Human-centrEd Medicine), funded through the Supplementary Plan to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which supports research initiatives for innovative technologies in the healthcare and assistance fields.