Six new medical schools in Spain: more places, same MIR bottleneck

Six new medical schools in Spain: more places, same MIR bottleneck

What is the point of training more doctors if they cannot then specialise? Spain is adding 477 new medical school places with the opening of three public and three private faculties, plus a new campus in Teruel. Last academic year there were already 52 medical schools (36 public, 16 private). But the real bottleneck remains the MIR exam (the national test required to specialise), which is not growing at the same pace.

The MIR paradox: too many students, not enough speciality places
More doctors graduate every year, yet the number of MIR places barely increases. The result: doctors who cannot practise as specialists and areas with chronic shortages, such as Soria or Teruel, because professionals can turn down postings without penalty. Meanwhile, other public employees are sanctioned if they refuse a rural posting.

Brain drain and the private healthcare business
Salaries in northern Europe are far higher than in Spain, which encourages emigration. What is more, neighbouring countries import doctors from elsewhere instead of expanding their own places. In Spain, the MIR system has become a barrier that, according to some voices, guarantees doctors can hold jobs in both the public and private sectors and sustains an oligopoly.

What if machines retire us first?
Some analyses suggest that artificial intelligence already matches or outperforms human diagnosis, and surgical robots keep advancing. Within 15 years, a doctor's work could change radically, although for now demand for specialists remains high.

The result: more medical students, but no guarantee of stable employment or of covering the areas most in need. The system still does not add up.