For years, Italy has faced a growing crisis: a shortage of doctors and major challenges in replacing them as they retire. In response, after 25 years, the country has overhauled the admissions process for medical, dental, and veterinary schools.

A new law has eliminated the selective entrance exams and replaced them with a new system: an open first semester followed by a mandatory exam, now referred to as the “filter semester,” designed to reduce the number of students who continue in the program.