What You Need to Know Before You Study Medicine in Spain

What You Need to Know Before You Study Medicine in Spain

Spain is one of the world’s leaders when it comes to higher education, ranking 11th overall. Perhaps this explains why over 75,000 students flock to one of the country’s nearly 80 universities and study any of the wide array of fields offered in leading institutions there.

While students with any interest will have no issue when it comes to finding the appropriate university, program, or courses, those specializing in medicine are in particular luck. The country is renowned internationally for its world-class programs and rigorous courses, which prepare students for continued study or future employment in many countries around the world.

Before you decide where you want to take your medical studies, here are 5 things you should know about Spain and its medical universities:

Range of Medical Focuses

Medicine is a field that spreads itself across a spectrum of specializations and emphases. Aspiring medical professionals can choose between a focus on medicine, pharmacy, physiology, psychology, and more. Regardless of a student’s desired industry within medicine, Spain has a plethora of programs to help students achieve their goals and take them to the next level, whether continued study or practice. Here are some of the programs and the universities at which they can be found:

• Medicine: students looking to study the general field of medicine can choose from a handful of programs and institutions in Spain, each of which is well-equipped to prepare them to enter into the world of medicine. One such university is the Catholic University San Antonio, which welcomes students from around the globe to take part in its world-class medical programs.
• Psychology: another popular field of study under the umbrella of medicine is psychology, which studies a person’s behavior and mind, taking consideration of all aspects of conscious and unconscious experience as well as thought. Marbella International University Centre is widely known for its program in the arena of psychology.
• Nursing: This happens to be one of the most popular fields in medicine, with students across the globe choosing the path in increasing numbers each year. Regarded as “the protection, promotion, and optimization of health, prevention of illness and injury, facilitation of healing, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care,” nursing is a common degree achieved at the University of Nebrija.
• Physiotherapy: Physiotherapy is another of the many areas of medicine students often choose to study in Spain, partially due to the well-known program at Castelldefels School of Social Science. The school trains its students to help people affected by various injuries, illnesses or disabilities through movement and exercise, manual therapy, education, as well as advice.

Cost

Spain welcomes prospective medical students from around the world to one of its many accredited and acclaimed Medical Universities. For many students who have the intelligence and experience but lack the funds to study in top universities in the US and UK, Spain is a top-tier alternative with programs recognized on a global scale. While students in the UK and US will pay an average of 185,000 USD and 243,000 USD for an MD degree, respectively, those in Spain will often pay slightly or significantly lower price.

Here is the tuition breakdown of the fees at some the country’s top medical universities based on field of focus:

• Medicine: 6 years - 20,600€ per year
• Dentistry: 5 years - 20,600€ per year
• Veterinarian: 5 years - 14,600€ per year
• Pharmacy: 5 years - 12,600€ per year
• Nursing: 4 years - 9,500€ per year

Application

The application can be the most daunting part of choosing which medical university you wish to attend in Spain (or any country, for that matter). Overall, the process is considered relatively straightforward; however, it should be noted that each program, university, and degree level requires unique aspects to the application process.

Some universities require that prospective students submit a variety of components to their applications: the online portion, a non-refundable fee, transcripts from prior educational institutions, letters of recommendation, and health information such as immunization records. Other universities will additionally require an in-person interview at an international location or a video interview via Skype.

If this sounds overwhelming, don’t panic! Companies like Yes Atlas exist to help students through their application and international study process, every step of the way. Simply reach out and connect with an admissions guide to begin your application process.

International Experience

Students of all backgrounds, especially those pursuing a medical degree, benefit from international experience. Having the opportunity to learn a new culture, engage with locals, and work in a new setting prepares medical students for the world of healthcare into which they hope to enter.

Spanish medical universities not only expose students to an alternative culture, which will help them as they advance through their educations and careers, but also align with some of the top programs in the world. The universities in Spain are in compliance with the US and EU standards of teaching, which means that students can apply for residency and continued education opportunities in these locations and a slew of others.