Michaela enters the college of dentistry without completing the required (by law) test. .
At the exam session there was a small percentage of other students, who didn't have astonishing family backgrounds or connections, nor did they have merciful grandfathers able to buy their admissions to the Medical School, as Michaela did. However, they decided to study, and attend preparatory lessons. Despite events as the latter are common, those students with no chances, believed in miracles; miracles that seldom happen. .
Lets go through this circumstance a bit deeper. Italy, is not a third world country. Such occurrences are comprehensible (perhaps) in nations as India, Russia, China; countries suffering major brain drains and emigration. Then it's fairly common in societies pressing for high standards of achievements and frenetic work, as Korea and Japan. Italy does not have a pressuring society based upon frenetic work and high achievements; about 60% of an Italian's time is made of eating and sleeping and the weekend is a sacred moment when the cities assume an unrecognizable deserted status. The statement that Italy's universities have "no tradition of evaluation," raises the uncomfortable question of how tenured posts are allocated in Italy if not on merit. It also weakens the very idea of a credible Italian university. Bureaucracy reigns supreme. Another story is summarized from a La Republica editorial by Domenico Sorrisi.
"Back in December 1995, 3,491 associate professor posts covering 357 disciplines were advertised in the official gazette. Thirteen of these posts were in English linguistics, where a nine-strong commission shortlisted 17 of the original 125 applicants for the examination, which eventually took place in Bologna at the end of May. The statutory two-part exam required each candidate to discuss his or her publications with the commission and, on selecting a sealed envelope containing a title to prepare within 24 hours an actual lesson to be delivered in English.
