What subjects are covered in the Bachelor’s degree in Medicine? A comprehensive year-by-year guide

How is the curriculum for the medical degree organised?

The medical degree is designed to help you gradually develop your profile as a doctor: first you must understand the healthy body, then disease, and finally learn how to treat it in real patients.

• FB = Basic Training 
• OB = Compulsory 
• OP = Optional

First year: molecular and anatomical foundations

The first year lays the foundations for the degree programme. The workload is heavy from the outset, particularly in anatomy, and the transition from sixth form can be demanding for many students.

• Morphology I and II (21 ECTS): the most extensive module in the first year. You will study the macroscopic anatomy of the human body, from the musculoskeletal system to the internal organisation of each system. This is the module that requires the most study time in this year.
• Immunology (6 ECTS): the body’s defence system, essential for understanding everything from vaccines to cancer. Far more relevant than it seems at the start of the degree programme.
• Bioethics (4 ECTS): from day one, the degree programme trains you to be a professional with values. It introduces the principles that guide medical practice: patient autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice.

Second year: advanced anatomy, microbiology and medical psychology

The second year delves deeper into anatomy and introduces two key elements that will feature throughout your degree: microorganisms and the psychological dimension of the patient.

• Morphology III and IV (26 ECTS): the most demanding module of the entire second year, with a particular focus on neuroanatomy and the sensory organs. The workload is considerably heavier than in the first year.
• Microbiology (10 ECTS): bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Understanding how they work is the first step towards combating them. A fundamental module for future clinical reasoning.
• Medical Psychology (6 ECTS): medicine treats people, not just diseases. It prepares you to understand the psychological dimension of the patient and to build a high-quality doctor-patient relationship.

Third year: the shift towards disease

The third year is the year of the most profound change. You move on from studying the healthy body to tackling how it becomes ill. For most students, this is where the demands really skyrocket.

• General Medical and Surgical Procedures (18 ECTS): the most heavily weighted module of the year. You’ll learn the techniques and procedures you’ll use in hospital: suturing, catheterisation, and systematic physical examination. It’s the real bridge between theory and clinical practice.
• Pathological Anatomy (12 ECTS): how disease alters the structure of tissues and organs. One of the most demanding modules in the entire degree programme: it is not enough to simply memorise; you must understand and make connections.
• Digital Health (5 ECTS): UAX is the first medical school in Spain to include training in telemedicine, wearables, data analytics and predictive medicine in its curriculum.

Fourth year: clinical training takes centre stage

From the fourth year onwards, the programme is purely clinical. You study diseases organised by body systems and begin your first real hospital placements under medical supervision.

• Obstetrics and Gynaecology (10 ECTS): the most extensive module of the course. It covers everything from pregnancy and childbirth to the most common gynaecological conditions, with a strong practical focus from day one.
• Clinical Practice I (6 ECTS): your first rotations through real hospital departments. Your first direct contact with patients in a clinical setting, bringing together everything you have learnt over the previous three years.
• Neurological Medical and Surgical Pathology (7 ECTS): the nervous system is the body’s most complex system. This module prepares you to identify and manage conditions ranging from a stroke to epilepsy.

Fifth year: completing the map of specialisms

The fifth year has the heaviest overall workload: 60 credits, all taken in a single year. It is demanding, but it is also the year when you feel that the map of medicine is beginning to come together.

• Clinical Practice II (12 ECTS): the practical workload increases significantly. You spend more time in hospital wards and take on greater responsibility under direct medical supervision.
• Paediatrics (10 ECTS): medicine for children and adolescents has its own physiological, pharmacological and emotional characteristics. For many, this is the most fulfilling module of the entire degree programme.
• Onco-Haematology and Clinical Genetics (6 ECTS): cancer and blood disorders from the integrative perspective of precision medicine. One of the areas with the greatest current potential for research and clinical application.

Sixth year: the year of full-time clinical practice

The final year is the most practical of the entire degree programme. It is designed to facilitate the definitive transition from student to doctor.

• Clinical Practicum III (36 ECTS): the largest module in the entire degree programme. Divided into Internal Medicine , General Surgery, Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Psychiatry and Primary Care in hospitals such as the Jiménez Díaz Foundation or the Severo Ochoa University Hospital. The degree comprises over 1,800 hours of clinical placements in total.
• Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology (7 ECTS): pharmacology applied to real patients, with a particular focus on prescribing safety and the management of poisoning.
• Final-Year Project (6 ECTS): your research project or scientific review, which you defend before an examination board. This demonstrates your ability to think and act as a doctor independently and rigorously.

Which is the most difficult year of the Medicine degree?

Most students cite the third year as the most demanding turning point. The reason is that this is the year in which you move away from studying the healthy body to tackle pathology, pharmacology and clinical procedures simultaneously. Pathological Anatomy and General Medical and Surgical Procedures, worth 12 and 18 credits respectively, represent a very heavy academic and cognitive workload.

That said, the fourth and fifth years are no walk in the park either. The range of clinical specialisms is vast, and on top of the theoretical demands come the pressure of hospital rotations and the approaching MIR (Residency) programme. Many students describe these two years as the most intense in terms of simultaneous demands.

The first year, for its part, can be particularly tough for those coming straight from sixth form who have never studied anatomy at this level before.

Which subjects are the most difficult on the Bachelor’s degree in Medicine?

Regardless of the specific year, there are subjects that students consistently identify as the most demanding:

• Morphology, structure and function of organs and systems (1st and 2nd years): extensive, detailed and requiring very precise memorisation over two full academic years.
• Pathological Anatomy (3rd year): combines morphological content with clinical reasoning. It is not enough simply to memorise; you have to understand and make connections.
• Pharmacology (3rd year): the number of drugs, mechanisms of action, indications and interactions is vast. It demands consistent effort throughout the year.
• General Medical and Surgical Procedures (3rd year): 18 credits combining theoretical knowledge and clinical practice in a highly intensive manner.
• Clinical Practice II and III (5th and 6th years): these are not difficult in the traditional sense, but the intensity of the rotations and the level of responsibility make them mentally very demanding.

What is the hardest part of studying medicine?

Beyond the subjects themselves, studying medicine involves several types of challenges:

• The volume of information. It is not a question of studying intensively for a week, but of maintaining a consistent level of effort over six years.
• Clinical reasoning. Moving from learning facts to reasoning about a real patient is a mental leap that requires time and practice.
• The pressure of the MIR. The entrance exam for a medical specialism weighs heavily from the very first years. At UAX, 96 per cent of students pass it.
• The emotional aspect. Dealing with serious illnesses and patients in difficult situations requires emotional resilience that cannot be learnt from books, but which the degree course trains you to manage.

Summary

The curriculum for the Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine at UAX divides its 360 ECTS credits across six years: two years of basic training, one year of pre-clinical to clinical transition, and three years of intensive clinical training. The most demanding modules are morphology and anatomy in the first and second years, and the trio of Pathological Anatomy, Pharmacology and Procedures in the third year. The year generally considered the most difficult is the third, although the fourth and fifth years are also very demanding. Beyond the modules themselves, the greatest challenges of the degree programme are the volume of content, the development of clinical reasoning and the emotional management inherent to the profession.

Sources

• Official Curriculum for the Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine — UAX (New Curriculum 2026)
• Order CIN/2136/2008, of 3 July, establishing the requirements for the verification of official university degrees qualifying graduates to practise as doctors. Official State Gazette
• Ministry of Health — Information on specialist medical training (MIR): sanidad.gob.es