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Studies & Degrees in Medicine

Medicine is the study of how the human body works, what goes wrong in disease and injury, and how to prevent, diagnose and treat it. A medical degree is the route into a regulated profession.

The content is broadly similar everywhere. The Spanish rules for the degree, set by Orden ECI/332/2008, give a good picture of what students learn. Every plan of study must include at least these blocks:

  • Morphology, structure and function of the human body (64 ECTS credits): anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, genetics
  • Social medicine, communication skills and introduction to research (30 ECTS credits)
  • Human clinical training (100 ECTS credits): the medical and surgical specialities
  • Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures (40 ECTS credits)
  • Supervised clinical placements and the final degree project (60 ECTS credits), with rotations in health centres and hospitals

Qualifications and levels

Medicine is a long first degree followed by paid specialist training. The length and the entry point differ by country.

  • European Union. Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications requires basic medical training of at least five years of study and at least 5,500 hours of theoretical and practical training, given by or under the supervision of a university.
  • Spain. The Grado en Medicina has 360 ECTS credits, which universities organise in six years. Medicine is a regulated profession, and the degree must follow the official requirements. Graduates who want to specialise enter residency training in accredited centres. Access is through an annual national call with a selective exam, commonly known as the MIR.
  • United Kingdom. According to NHS Health Careers, a medical degree is normally five years long for students who come straight from school, and four years on the accelerated graduate programme. After medical school, graduates complete a two-year paid foundation programme and then train in one of the 60 medical specialties.
  • United States. Medicine is a graduate degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), physicians and surgeons typically need a bachelor's degree and then a medical degree that takes an additional 4 years, followed by 3 to 9 years of internship and residency, depending on the specialty. There are two types of medical degree, the M.D. and the D.O. Applicants take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), which assesses knowledge of natural and social sciences, critical thinking and scientific problem-solving.

A medical degree from one country does not automatically allow practice in another. Before enrolling abroad, ask the medical regulator of the country where you plan to work how that degree is recognised and which exams or training it requires.

Where to study medicine

SpainExchange lists 283 active schools for medicine. Spain has 40 and the United States 39, followed by the United Kingdom (19), Germany (14), Australia (10), Brazil (9), Chile (7) and France (6), and Argentina, Canada and Mexico with 5 each.

In Spain, examples from the list are the Universidad de Navarra, the Universidad de Murcia, the Universidad de Cádiz and the Universidad de Oviedo. The Universidad de Navarra describes its degree in Pamplona as an official degree of 360 ECTS credits and 6 years, taught in Spanish and English, with 200 places. The Universidad de Murcia teaches its six-year degree in Spanish and offers 220 first-year places; its admission cut-off mark for 2025-26 was 12.965.

Examples elsewhere include the University of Aberdeen and the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom; Stanford University, The Ohio State University, The University of Chicago and the University of Kentucky in the United States; Ghent University in Belgium; the Universidad Austral in Buenos Aires and the Universidad de Valparaíso in Chile.

The language of instruction is usually the language of the country, because clinical training means talking to patients. In Spain most medical degrees are taught in Spanish; some include subjects in English.

Careers

Most graduates work as doctors after specialist training, in general practice or in a hospital specialty. Others move into research, public health, health management or the pharmaceutical industry. The BLS notes that physicians work in clinical settings, such as physicians' offices and hospitals, and in nonclinical settings such as government agencies, nonprofit organizations and insurance companies.

For the United States, the BLS counted 862,800 jobs for physicians and surgeons in 2025. It projects employment to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 22,100 openings each year.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to study medicine?

In Spain the degree has 360 ECTS credits and takes six years. In the United Kingdom it is normally five years, and in the United States four years of medical school after a bachelor's degree. Specialist training comes after the degree in all three countries.

Can I study medicine in Spain in English?

Most Spanish medical degrees are taught in Spanish. Some universities teach part of the degree in English: the Universidad de Navarra, for example, lists Spanish and English as the languages of its degree. Ask each school which level of Spanish it requires.

How do doctors specialise in Spain?

Through residency training in accredited centres. Access is through an annual national call with a selective exam, regulated by Ley 44/2003.

What is the MCAT?

The Medical College Admission Test is the admission exam used for medical school in the United States. According to the AAMC, it is offered several times a year at test sites in the United States, Canada and around the world.