New Training Programme for Military Physicians Begins

The Medical Military School has taken an important step in training future military physicians with the incorporation, on 20th August, of the first students in the new educational system, which makes Medical studies compatible with military training.  In this manner, it is hoped that the number of military physicians will increase over the next years, so that the Armed Forces may see all their needs of a medical nature covered.
 

There are 21 students who have joined this new system by direct access, as well as four servicepersons who have entered through internal promotion.  The director of the Medical Military School, Colonel José D. García Labajo, has reminded the future doctors, ‘With you a new educational model begins which must promote military values and virtues along with the vocation of service and dedication for the practice of Medicine’.
 

The new students will carry out their studies through the Defence University Centre affiliated with the University of Alcalá, which is situated in Madrid.  To obtain the qualifications, during the six academic years they must successfully achieve the 360 course credits of the European Credit Transfer System and the 76 from the Medical Military School military training study plan.  The future 1st lieutenant physicians will have at least 12 years of service time from their admission to the scale. 
 

The students will travel to Zaragoza to undertake a six-week basic military training phase at the General Military Academy.  They will be joined in the first days of September by the two privates who have been admitted through internal promotion.  They all, plus two nurse officers —also through internal promotion—, will begin to study Medicine in October at the Defence University Centre. 
 

In turn, on 3rd September, joining the Medical Military School will be the 8 graduates in Medicine, 6 graduates in Pharmacy, 3 graduates in Veterinary Medicine, 2 graduates in Dentistry, 8 graduates in Psychology and 25 in Nursing who have passed the qualifying tests to carry out the training as a professional or reserve serviceperson, whose first phase will take place at the General Military Academy.