Pneumology and sleep disordered breathing training in Portugal.

ABSTRACT

In Portugal, a medical degree takes 6 years, including a master's degree, ever since the Bologna Agreement of 2009. After this, and according to the Ordem dos Médicos (College of Physicians), one must complete 2 years of fully supervised clinical practice to be able to practice medicine. During this period, junior doctors rotate through several different medical and chirurgical specialties, after which and according to their grade on a national examination, they chose a specialty and location. Pneumology/respiratory medicine is one of the options and every year roughly 30 residents begin this 5-year specialty. Junior doctors usually choose where to perform their residency according to the subspecialties available in a particular hospital, their relationship with academia, opportunities for research projects and to go abroad, among other factors.