Spanish doctors favor dermatology; other top choices include plastic surgery and ophthalmology due to work-life balance concerns.
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In Spain, dermatology has become a favored specialty among doctors. Among the 9,276 available spots for Internal Resident Doctors (MIR) this year, which includes emergency medicine for the first time, other popular fields include plastic and reconstructive surgery, ophthalmology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and endocrinology and nutrition. The popularity of top specialties is linked to better working conditions, such as fewer on-call duties, allowing for a better work-life balance, which contrasts with current demands regarding mandatory shifts that are not adequately regulated or compensated under the framework established by the Ministry of Health. This trend of favoring specialties offering private practice opportunities and good pay has been observed in other European countries like Romania (where aesthetic medicine is popular) and France (which favors plastic surgery and dermatology). In Italy, several fields were fully allocated spots during the recent specialization exam. Portugal is facing challenges with unfilled specialist vacancies, while Austria lacks a centralized ranking system, relying instead on accreditation data showing general medicine, orthopedics, and internal medicine as highly accredited areas. Other countries show different preferences; Bulgaria favors pediatrics, and Ireland shows interest in cardiology, geriatrics, dermatology, pulmonology, and gastroenterology.
