The University of Córdoba studies expanding the places to study Medicine by 7.5%

The decision on this increase in places, which would go through increase the current 130 first-year places in Córdoba to around 140must be approved by the Governing Councils of each of the universities of the aforementioned provinces and has been raised in a recent meeting in which they participated University and Health advisors of the Junta de Andalucía, Jose Carlos Gomez Villamandos Y Catherine Garciarespectively, as well as the Deans of Medicine Andalusian public universities.

medical studies, together with those of Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, Physiotherapy or Psychology, are some whose places are covered every year in the first allocation, with the added handicap that the score to gain access to those degrees continues to rise. Specifically, the cut-off mark required to study Medicine this course was 13,452the highest with respect to the rest of the titles of the UCO.

Dean’s Arguments

The dean of the School of MedicineNursing and Physiotherapy of the UCO, Luis Jiménez Reina, points out that the board of the Faculty of Medicine of Córdoba has opted, at first, for do not increase the places for first-year students with the resources of teaching staff and provision of clinical practices, among other requirements, which now exist, since this faculty board understands that “it is not a matter of deteriorating the quality of teaching”. However, Jiménez Reina qualifies that if the University of Córdoba and the Departments of University and Health understand that they will be able to count on more teaching staff and other resources, then perhaps it is possible to undertake the expansion of positions. Luis Jiménez maintains that the Córdoba faculty is the smallest and when “the places were increased to 130 we were already at the limit of our capacity.”

This increase in places, of up to 15% in each faculty, was announced and approved last year by the Government of Spain, with the aim of alleviating the deficit of existing doctors.

Manuel Torralbo explains that the proposal that as rector is going to take to the Governing Council of the UCO is to increase by 7.5% the new places to access Medicine studies in Córdoba, although he understands the reasons given by the faculty board of this center so as not to increase them. Torralbo indicates that said proposal from the UCO will be conditioned on knowing that there is a budget for hiring teachers, through, for example, the promotion of the María Castellano program, and with resources to carry out the internships, “putting each institution of your part what you can to respond to the existing need.

Assessment of the University Counseling

On this same issue, sources from the Ministry of University pointed out that “the economic resources are held and distributed by whoever has announced them, which is the central government” and added that “the Junta de Andalucía met with the deans of Medicine, precisely to tell you that Andalusian public universities have the full collaboration of the Andalusian Government so that they can increase the number of places in their respective faculties of Medicine”.

The University Department stated that in “said meeting there was a firm commitment from the Health and University councilors to guarantee the necessary means to face the increase in Medicine places for the 2023/24 academic year, such as facilitating the hiring of professors or the increase in the level of personnel if necessary, among others ».

Why is it necessary to increase the number of places?, according to the Board

«The Andalusian Government has gone beyond its obligations to facilitate an increase in the number of places. It is difficult for society to understand that the increase of 10 or 15 more medical students poses a problem for a university that, thanks to the Government of Juanma Moreno, has the best financing in recent decades,” the sources of the Counseling.

“It is also not easy to explain that a dozen students from Cordoba who want to study Medicine and who may have the opportunity to study in their province have to go to other cities,” stressed the Ministry of University.

«From the Ministry we appeal to the UCO to continue applying the criteria of social justice that has always characterized it and we ask for social responsibility and good management of the resources that all Andalusians make available to them. Also, We appeal to the responsibility of the Faculty of Medicine of Córdoba in a case of social need, given the lack of doctors that Andalusia needs and the urgent need to alleviate the serious problem that is coming before the imminent retirement of doctors. According to the Andalusian Council of Colleges of Physicians, 46% of the physicians currently practicing will have retired in the course of 10 years”, reiterates the Ministry of University.