Step into the world of Francesca Pellicanò, a 2022 Dompé Foundation scholarship recipient hailing from Reggio Calabria, Italy, poised to revolutionize the medical field through technology. Currently navigating her 2^nd year at the MEDTEC School, a pioneering 6-year degree program crafted by Humanitas University and Politecnico di Milano, 20-year-old Francesca is fueling her passion for science and innovation with a cutting-edge study plan that intertwines medical and engineering disciplines. Join us in this video interview as we uncover Francesca’s childhood dreams and university journey.    

What was your biggest dream as a child?

My childhood dream was to become an astronomer. Over time, however, I fell in love with a different kind of infinity: the microscopic machinery of the human body.

Why did you choose the MEDTEC School?

I chose the MEDTEC school because it keeps up with the advancements within the current medical and scientific revolution. MEDTEC aims to train "doctor-scientists" who can harness the cutting-edge technologies to push the boundaries of scientific innovation even further.

What are you loving the most about your degree?

What I appreciate the most about my degree is how medicine and biomedical engineering are taught as two sides of the same coin. They are seamlessly integrated so that no fundamental aspect of either is overlooked. It's incredibly important, in my opinion, that the contamination between the medical and engineering fields occurs, considering the future of the medical scientific world today.

What is your favorite subject at university?

My favorite subject is physiology. What I find most fascinating is how physiology teaches us how the body functions as a synergetic machine: in fact, the unexpected malfunction of just a single small cell can disrupt an entire balance.

How does it feel to have someone cheering for you?

I'm aware of the challenges I will face in this course of study, but the enthusiasm and trust I'm receiving from the Dompé Foundation encourage me to believe even more in myself and to spare no effort in pursuing my dreams.