A sharp increase in the number of places at medical faculties in Catalonia could help address the shortage of doctors in the region. Nearly 700 new spots for medical students are planned for the next five years, which will significantly boost the influx of young professionals into the healthcare system. This move comes in response to projected growth in the number of retiring doctors and strong demand for medical education, which has outstripped supply for years.
According to El Pais, 195 new spots will already be available next academic year, but so far only at private universities. Specifically, Ramon Llull will add 120 seats, Abat Oliba 50, and Vic 25. That makes up almost a third of the overall growth planned for the coming years. The rest of the new spots will be opened at public universities, which should make medical education more accessible for Catalonia’s residents.
New projects and changes
Special attention is focused on the launch of a medical faculty in Terrassa, an initiative originally started by Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). However, the project was temporarily put on hold due to feedback from the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU). Now, the University of Barcelona (UB) will lead the project in partnership with UPC. UB does not have its own campus in Terrassa but has an accredited teaching hospital — Mútua de Terrassa — and UPC provides the necessary infrastructure. The plan is to open 50 new spots, but the project is still under review.
Starting from the 2028-2029 academic year, public universities will offer 111 additional places, with another 112 added each year for the following three years. By the 2031-2032 academic year, the total number of medical students in Catalonia will grow from 8,000 to 12,000. This expansion is expected to reduce competition for admission, as the entry threshold for medical programs is currently the highest among all fields.
Investment and infrastructure
To ensure high-quality education and practical training for students, Catalan authorities are accelerating the accreditation process for new clinical bases. According to RUSSPAIN.COM, the time required to process documents for new university hospitals has been reduced from 13 to 6 months. Last year, five new centers were approved, with six more under review.
Meanwhile, a 100 million euro investment is planned in infrastructure: 60 million will go to the Bellisens campus at Rovira i Virgili University (URV) in Reus, 10.6 million to the Salud campus at the University of Lleida, and 30 million to the MIES building at the University of Barcelona. These steps will help avoid overloading existing clinics and provide all students with the necessary conditions for practical training.
Impact on the education system
The implementation of this plan could become a key step in addressing the staffing shortage in Catalonia’s healthcare sector. According to experts, increasing the number of graduates will not only help cover the lack of doctors but also improve the quality of medical services. Notably, the new positions will open not just in Barcelona but across other cities in the region, helping balance the distribution of specialists.
Amid ongoing discussions about education and healthcare reforms in Spain, such initiatives are increasingly relevant. For instance, Barcelona has recently seen active debate over coalition building and changes in regional governance, developments that affect university and medical program strategies. You can find more details on political changes in Catalonia in the article on new initiatives in Barcelona.
In recent years, Spain has made repeated efforts to expand spots in medical faculties to cope with the increasing pressure on the healthcare system. In 2024, similar measures were introduced in Madrid and Valencia, which also faced acute doctor shortages. Authorities responded by strengthening collaboration between universities and clinics, speeding up the training of new professionals. These steps have already reduced admission competition and improved the staffing balance across the country’s regions.
