Usama (24) is a 5^th year medical student from Gijon, Spain.

 

How is university life in Spain?

This depends on the university or faculty attended. It can be either quiet or very active. I don’t live on a university campus, but with my parents. Usually I spend around ten hours a week studying.

 

Is it financially possible for everyone to study medicine in Spain?

Everyone can study medicine if you have the financial support to cover your living expenses. The institutional fee ranges from € 800 up to € 2000 per year, depending on where you study. The government offers grants to students with a lower family or personal income. You have to pass most of your courses every year in order to keep this grant. It covers the tuition fee, transportation expenses, and some extra help for books.

 

What do you think of the medical education system in Spain?

The theoretical subjects are in my opinion excessive. The educational system does not allow students to focus much on improving their medical skills. The main focus is on theoretical knowledge. I would like to have more practical experience in the hospital and less emphasis on theory in classes.

 

What do you think is the biggest difference between studying in Spain and studying in other European countries?

The focus in Spain, like most other Southern European countries, and developing countries for that matter, is that medical education is not student centred. In most Northern European countries medical education is focused on the student, so you can combine studying a lot better with your ‘other life.’ This allows you to be involved in other activities outside of medicine and get trained in those skills that are not taught at med school.

 

Describe your life in 2020….

Most likely the world has undergone some huge changes and I’ll be somewhere else, not in Spain definitely.