Last-Minute Expansion of Medicine Degree Allows 15 Students to Fulfill Their Dreams
In a twist of fate reminiscent of a tennis ball hitting the net, 15 students from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) have been given a second chance to pursue their dream of studying Medicine. Thanks to the decision to increase the number of places in the Medicine degree from 135 to 150, these students were able to secure a spot at the last moment, after narrowly missing out on admission in previous years.
One of these students, Victor Pentón del Toro, had been trying to enter the Medicine program since last year. “It was lucky that they expanded those 15 places because last year I didn’t get the grade,” he said. After enrolling in Physiotherapy and repeating the entrance exam, he received the unexpected news that he had been accepted into Medicine. Pentón believes that his journey to becoming a doctor has been worth the effort and is now determined to enjoy his chosen career.
Fatima Sosa, another student who had just started a Nursing degree, also received the news of her acceptance into Medicine with great excitement. She had initially planned to improve her grades and reapply to Medicine in the future. However, the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream came sooner than expected. Sosa, whose mother is a nurse, has always felt a calling towards the medical field. She hopes to specialize in Neurosurgery.
For Dara Castellano, being just 0.08 points shy of the required grade for Medicine was a disappointment. However, the expansion of places offered her the chance she had been hoping for. Castellano had initially enrolled in Nursing, but the call from the university informing her of her acceptance into Medicine made her realize her dream could still come true. Like Pentón and Sosa, she considers this opportunity a great achievement.
Sara Fernandez, who fell just short of entering Medicine this year, had already made plans to enroll in Physiotherapy at ULPGC. However, the expanded places allowed her to start her medical studies sooner than expected. Fernandez is grateful for the opportunity and is committed to pursuing her vocation.
These four students, along with Victoria Deniz and Adriana Oregui, were welcomed by ULPGC officials last week. The university’s decision to increase the number of Medicine places was made possible through support and funding from the Ministry of Health. The ULPGC will now have 137 students from the province of Las Palmas, six from the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and seven from the rest of Spain in its Medicine classrooms.
The Ministry of Health will transfer approximately €714,000 to the ULPGC in November to support the Faculty of Health Sciences. This funding will be used for priority actions identified by the department.
Overall, the last-minute expansion of the Medicine degree at ULPGC has brought joy and fulfillment to these 15 students, who can now pursue their passion for medicine and embark on the journey to becoming doctors.