title: [The key role of public health medical resident education for future public health challenges].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Italian Committee of medical residents in Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health is a member of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health with the aim of developing a network among Italian resident in public health and promoting the educational path improvement through comparisons and debates between postgraduate medical schools. In this perspective, during last years account has been taken of some essential topics concerning education of public health medical residents, which represent future health-care and public health experts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional researches were conducted among Italian public health medical residents (PHMRs) through self-administered and web-based questionnaires. Each questionnaire was previously validated by pilot studies conducted during the 46th National Conference of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy percent of Italian PHMRs considered the actual length of Public Health postgraduate medical school excessively long, with regard to predetermined educational goals. Confirming this statement, 90% of respondents were inclined to a reduction from 5 to 4 years of postgraduate medical school length, established by Law Decree 104/2013. Seventy seven percent of surveyed PHMRs stand up for a rearrangement on a national setting of the access contest to postgraduate medical schools. Moreover 1/3 of Italian schools performed less than 75%of learning and qualifying activities specified in Ministerial Decree of August 2005. In particular, data analysis showed considerable differences among Italian postgraduate schools. Finally, in 2015 only four Italian Universities (Napoli Federico II, Palermo, Pavia, Roma Tor Vergata) provide for the Second Level Master qualify for the functions of occupational doctor. This offer makes available 60 positions against a request of over 200 future Public Health medical doctors who have shown interest in the Master.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Italy, after the introduction of Ministerial Decree 285/2005, the educational course of PHMRs was significantly improved. The standardization of learning and qualifying activities allowed for the first time the attendance at medical directions or Local Health Units. Nevertheless, the excessive lenght of postgradute schools and the differences about training among Italian Universities are critical and actual issue. Moreover, the remarkable interest shown by PHMRs in the Master could suggest a poor job replacement prospect for young medical specialist in Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di scienze per la promozione della salute e materno infantile, Università di Palermo. claudio.costantino01@unipa.it.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costantino
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cinquetti
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garavelli
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marcantoni
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murru
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pieroni
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Privitera
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ricciardi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Soncini
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tedesco
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Triassi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Campanella
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D005544:Forecasting; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene / Q000193:education*; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D007558:Italy; D011315:Preventive Medicine / Q000193:education*; D011634:Public Health / Q000193:education*; D012577:Schools, Medical / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence