Q1. Is Medicine at UFV taught in English?
+A: No. The official programme listing states Spanish as the language of instruction; only one applied English course appears across all six years.
The university has existed since 1993 as an academic center associated with Universidad Complutense de Madrid. It received status of an independent private university in 2001 according to Ley 7/2001. Being run by the Legion of Christ, the university provides professional education in combination with attention to ethical and humane aspects. This educational approach is demonstrated in its Medical degree through the development of the Medical Humanities program.
In addition to medical sciences and courses, the students study such subjects as bioethics, professionalism, patient-focused care. Hospital visits and community-based activities are integrated into the curriculum. Visits to Fontilles leprosy sanatorium and academic mobility in foreign countries, e.g., Germany and Poland, are the examples of this educational approach. These aspects are the unique features which differentiate UFV from the majority of classical medical universities.
One of the key issues for international students is the language of the programme. Despite numerous bilingual and English-taught degrees in various areas, such as Business, International Relations and Engineering, the Medical degree offered by UFV is not among them. According to the official curriculum of the university, the programme is provided in Spanish completely. Such subjects as Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology and Obstetrics are studied in Spanish during all six years.
he curriculum provides only one English-taught course, Applied Scientific English for Medicine, starting from the second year. Nevertheless, it is aimed to develop English terminology for medicine of Spanish-speaking students, not to teach in English. Thus, students require good knowledge of Spanish before entering the programme. Therefore, it may be considered as a Spanish-language medical degree.
Admissions process in the university is independent from the admission process of Spain's public universities. Applicants go through the personal interview, aptitude test and evaluation of their academic record. The entrance examination fee is approximately €170. The independent admission process allows selecting the candidates based on the criteria of the university itself.
Competition is high since the university accepts only about 161 students per year. The university pays special attention to early application due to the small number of students and its small-group teaching approach. International students have to pass the qualification homologation in Spain additionally to the admission process of the university.
As a private university, UFV provides much higher tuition than Spain's public medical schools. Tuition in the first year is usually in the range of the low €20,000. It is paid in the form of a down payment and monthly payments. During six years of the study programme the tuition fee is more than €100,000 without accommodation, insurance, travel and other living costs. Families have to prepare themselves for such expenditures.
High tuition fees help to finance the educational model with early practical preparation of students. UFV is famous for the integration of simulation-based learning at the beginning of the programme. Students are trained in simulated operating rooms, intensive care units, ambulances and advanced clinical simulation laboratories. Thus, the skills of practice are developed together with theoretical knowledge.
Another characteristic feature of the university is its Early Clinical Immersion programme. In contrary to other universities, students start to observe the clinical practice from the first year of study. Clinical rotations are conducted through the cooperation with eight university hospitals and sixteen specialized health care centers in the Madrid area. Thus, students have contact with real healthcare environment all the time during their studies.
Furthermore, the university is recognized as a successful participant of Spain's MIR residency exams. According to the ranking made in 2025, UFV was placed as the first private medical university in the Community of Madrid regarding MIR results. Many students enter the residencies after graduating from this university. It shows the effectiveness of preparation of students.
The degree is accredited by the Order ECI/332/2008 and conforms to the standards which regulate the Spanish medical education. Graduates can pass the MIR exam and work as physicians in the European Union and European Economic Area based on the licensing requirements in each destination. Thus, the degree provides wide recognition in the European countries.
Published information does not show that UFV holds the WFME International Quality Label now. It is important for graduates who plan to do postgraduate medical training in the USA via some special ECFMG pathways. For students who want to work in Spain, other EU countries or India, it is not very important issue. But licensing requirements of the country should be checked individually.
The campus of the university is situated in Pozuelo de Alarcón – an affluent suburb of Madrid. Students use the opportunity to study in the university with modern facilities in the comfortable campus without being in the city center. The university has a free shuttle which connects the campus with Madrid. It allows to be close to the city and simultaneously stay in the comfortable academic environment.
To conclude, UFV is suitable for students who are already fluent in Spanish or who are ready to reach this skill before entering the university. It is also suitable for those students whose families are ready to pay high tuition fee for the European private medical education. The advantages of this university are the early clinical immersion, modern facilities of simulations, high results of MIR exam, and the combination of medicine and humanities in the curriculum. However, it is not an English-medium programme.
