Officially known as the Italian Republic, the country is found in southern Europe. The official language is Italian and the cultural rich capital is Rome. Many of the world's oldest universities are located in Italy, in particular the University of Bologna (founded in 1088). There are three Superior Graduate Schools with "university status", three institutes with the status of Doctoral Colleges, which function at graduate and post-graduate level.

A Doctor of Medicine is a highly advanced degree that requires about six years of work. Many M.D. programs require a combination of classwork, research papers, and hands-on clinical practice to certify students as medical doctors.