More than 400 medical residency (internato médico) positions remained unfilled for the training cycle starting in 2027, according to provisional health data. Of the 2,338 available places, junior doctors took up 1,912, leaving 426 vacancies, including 186 unfilled spots in general and family medicine (medicina geral e familiar). The National Association of Medical Students (Associação Nacional de Estudantes de Medicina or ANEM) warned that working conditions must improve to make family and internal medicine appealing to graduates.
Hundreds of Medical Residency Spots Left Unfilled in Portugal
Thursday, 12 November 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
The medical internship (internato médico) is Portugal's structured postgraduate medical training pathway required for doctors to practice independently and earn specialist qualifications. It consists of a common foundational year followed by four to six years of specialized residency within the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde). State exam rankings determine how graduates select hospital residency spots, directly impacting doctor availability across Portuguese clinics.
