The Vice-Rectorate for Students presented a proposal to the Governing Council today, September 16, to increase the number of places for the Medicine degree. The aim is to raise the number from the initial 130 places to a total of 150 for the first academic year of 2026/27.
Rosario Hernández, head of the department, explained during this morning's online session that the Ministry of Health launched a subsidy program in the 2023/24 academic year for public universities. This program financed the increase of new entry places in Medicine degrees, with the objective of boosting the number of graduates in the medium term and contributing to meeting the medical professional needs of the National Health System, as well as the high demand for these studies.
This state funding continued in subsequent years, specifically until the 2025/26 academic year. Thus, in the last two years, the University of La Laguna has benefited from this aid, increasing its initial quota by 20 places. This year, however, state funding will be directed towards maintaining the additional places created in previous calls, without considering funding for new increases in the first year.
Despite the absence of state funding for new increases, several public universities have announced increases in their new entry places at the beginning of this academic year, covering the costs with their own funds. The University of La Laguna will also do so for the Medicine degree, which has received nearly 1,500 pre-registration applications.
The vice-rector clarified that this decision is limited to the 2026/27 academic year and does not imply any commitment regarding the offering for subsequent courses. She added that the increase must be made prudently to avoid compromising the quality of clinical teaching.
The Governing Council's agenda also included a slight modification to the regulations for conditional enrollment in master's degrees at the University of La Laguna, allowing postgraduate enrollment upon meeting certain academic criteria. Additionally, the proposal for the allocation of retributive complements for faculty and a specific modification to the list of assimilated positions were approved.
