Social Storm Over Professor Roberto Burioni for Allegedly Failing Medical Students in Pre-Test

Social storm on Professor Roberto Burioni, "guilty" according to some students of the Medicine faculty of San Raffaele for failing almost all those who participated in the pre-test to access the Microbiology exam too easily. Out of 408 candidates, in fact, only 10 passed the test. Everything started from a video published on TikTok by a student, who contested the exam methodology chosen by the well-known virologist.

Burioni on the controversies for the Microbiology exam: «Those who study pass it, but I understand the bitter students»

Burioni, social protest for the Microbiology exam

In the video, later removed, the young woman says: «I don't think it's normal that so few people can pass an exam, especially since it's an exam that everyone studied so fervently for. Obviously, not all medical exams are like this, but it's important to talk about it because I don't think it's fair. I assure you that people who are very studious and dedicated, who always get 30 or 30 with honors, who pass all exams: so I don't believe they didn't study».

How the test works

The test consists of 8 multiple-choice questions to be completed in 15 minutes: only those who answer all the questions correctly can access the actual exam. Of the 408 candidates, only 10 made it and therefore will be able to take the exam, as Burioni himself pointed out in a letter to the students that «17% of the participants in this call were unaware of the etiological agent of scarlet fever and that 44% did not know how to make a diagnosis of influenza».

The student, after removing the video, published another one asking if anyone knows a lawyer to recommend. Burioni had already used the test in the Dentistry and Biotechnology courses, but with open-ended answers. It was the first time the virologist also subjected the Medicine students to it, since before the Microbiology course was taught by another professor.