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| IFMSA-Spain | ||||
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| Location | 
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| Participating cities (LC's) |
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| Languages | Spanish, Catalan, Basque, Galician, Asturian | |||
| Currency (how much is a Bigmac?) | Euro (€) BigMmac= 3,50 € approximately | |||
| Time zone | GMT+1 (except Tenerife which is at GMT) | |||
| Number of Doctors and beds per 1000 people | 4'19 doctors/1000 people and 3'8 beds/1000 people | |||
| Member of IFMSA since... | 1962 | |||
| Number of incoming students per year | 450 (SCOPE & SCORE) | |||
| Who are our NEO's | Andrés Suárez Velázquez, Jésica Abadía Otero, Lucy Dougherty | |||
| Our official website | www.ifmsa-spain.org | |||
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Contents |
Welcome Note
If you are reading this by now,it is quite probable that you are interested in coming on an exchange to Spain.
If you are,you must first contact the Local Exchange Officers (either for Research or Professional exchanges) at your Medical School.
If you have and you are one of the fortunate students who will come to have a delightful experience at our country,first of all: Congratulations!
In this section of the SCOPE wikipage you will find further information that will help you plan your stay and chooose the city you want to stay at.
Go on...
Our health care system
Our Health System is mainly public,its expenses are covered with the taxes we pay and it covers most treatments (mainly all the basic ones and lots of others that are also covered) and its coverage is nearly universal.It covers Spanish citizens,EU citizens and citizens from countries with which Spain has international treaties.
Its admnistration is transfered to the Comunidades autónomas (read the Cultural differences part to know more about them) and it is makes Public Health one of the main pillars of the Spanish welfare state.
Access to the specialists at hospitals is regulated by the referral from the Primary Healthcare doctor.
It is said to be one of the best Health Systems in the whole world so you must not worry,in case yuo need a good assistance,it will be superbly provided.
Our medical education
At Spain we study Medicine for 6 years just after going out from school (and obtaining extremely high marks in our school days).During these years we study,firstly the human body in its healthy state and then the ill states.We study all specialities during these six courses for some time.
After finishing these years of hard studies we have to take a national exam (known as MIR [pronounced like Miir]) that decides which speciality we will be working in.
Our life as learning specialists (residents) lasts between three and five years more (in which we start receiving a salary) and at its end we are finally mature specialists who can work at every Spanish hospital after going through more exams.
Life as a medical student is hard at Spain but it is worth the effort (or at least that is what we say).
Cultural differences
Spain is a conglomerate of different cultures,each of which is prouldy defended by its population.There are differences among different regions,cities and even parts of the same city but fortunately enough everyone speaks Spanish (not necessarily as their mother tongue) so it is easy to be understood if you can speak at least some (highly advisable!!!!).
Most of the times,the main culture in a region fits the division of Spain into 17 Comunidades autónomas (Autonomous comunities) and 2 Ciudades autónomas (Autonomous cities) according to our Constitución,approved in 1978.
These Comunidades autónomas are shown in the following map:
These regions have different accents and ways of living as well as different landscapes and natural habitats so it is quite difficult to get a deep idea of all of them.You can find more information on the domain of each Local Committee that covers their city and region.
Note: For Cataluña, you must take a look at the web of Catalonia-Spain in the SCOPE wiki.
Accommodation & Boarding
Accomodation and at least one meal per day are provided for free to exchange students on a bilateral exchange.
Accomodation might be at:
- A student's residence
- A rented flat
- A student's house (the fewest times)
There is a possibility that the Local Committee might ask you to pay some money when you arrive to the place you will be accomodated at in order to pay the damage you might make.Fortunately enough,no damage should be made and so,at the end of the exchange,the money will be given back to you.Those LCs needing this money will tell you before your arrival.
Boarding can be provided at:
- The hospital's canteen
- Every place you want (you will be given money for your meals)
Social program
Depends on the Local Committee you are accepted at but it usually includes:
- National Food and Drinking Party with the different dishes and drinks from the other incoming students on an exchange at the same time at this Local Committee
- Parties with your fellow incoming students
- Visits to the city with a member of the Local Committee
To know the rest,you will have to experience it in your own exchange!!!
Local & National transportation
Air
There are 47 airports in Spain,being the main ones Barajas (at Madrid) and El Prat (at Barcelona) so it should not be difficult to find a flight to Spain.
Train
All the Peninsula is connceted by trains by the Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles (Renfe). Renfe
Bus
There are buses going to and fro all around Spain.Some of the most important bus companies are:
Car
Roads are constant in our landscapes and even too abundant so moving around through them should not be a problem.Ypu can find your way using googlemaps.
Weather
Weather varies between the North and the South being the South warmer than the North in Winter but definitely hotter in Summer.
The Canary Islands usually have a warm weather all through the year.
For more info: Weather
Social life
If you are looking for fun and insanely great parties during your free time,Spain is definitely your place.
There are parties all through the year,parties that will long all night long with music and lots of people willing to make as much fun as you of the night.
Fun is not limited to the night,during the day you will find hundreds of different activities,you can go to the beach and just sit and let time go by or you can plan a cultural visit to one of the lots of historical locations or museums.Going out trying differnet kinds of food all through the town for extremely cheap prices is another option.
Just think of something you would like to do,you can do it here!!!
Exchange conditions
You can find our updated Exchange Conditions in this link. Please take special attention to the Documents and Deadlines parts!
Feedback
Feedback will be deeply appreciated.If you want to share with us any problem you have had during your exchange,you can:
- Write to neo@ifmsa-spain.org
- Contact your Local Exchange Officer or your National Exchange Officer and ask them to transmit us your complaints
- Contact directly the people taking care of the proper development of the exchanges at the Local Committee where you have been hosted
All your suggestions will help us to improve our Exchange System.