Doctor passed himself off as Italy's head of state.

An Italian doctor faces charges of fraud and impersonation after posing as the president of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, in a clumsy attempt to land a job at a top hospital in Rome.

The bizarre story involves a 56-year-old urologist who passed himself off as Italy's head of state in a series of phone calls to senior management at the Gemelli hospital, reports Rome newspaper Il Messsaggero.

The man impersonated the president to recommend himself for the job at the Gemelli, with "Mattarella" telling hospital managers about the extreme professionalism of his "nephew" who was in the US but was keen to return to Italy.

The doctor was duly summoned for interview and arrived with an impressive CV complete with a glowing reference from President Mattarella.

Over the following days hospital managers became suspicious after an endless round of calls from the "president" to their private phone numbers.

The doctor was soon unmasked after the hospital contacted Quirinale staff who rubbished his claims, with police subsequently tracing all calls from "Mattarella" to the man's cell phone.

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