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Alicante


AlicanteThis is a very brief guide about doing Erasmus in Alicante. It’s by no means comprehensive, but hopefully will provide you with some useful information and give you an idea of what to expect if you Erasmus there. If there is any information which you would like to see on here, or anything which is out of date, then please contact the international rep.

As you are probably aware, Alicante is a holiday city, with lots of cheap flights from all over Europe letting it get swamped by tourists in the summer. Fortunately during the Erasmus period (November-March) there aren’t that many visitors. However, the city does maintain some of its tourist feel. The night life is good, there’s a wide range of bars and clubs, and there are lots of hotels! Although there are things to do, Alicante isn’t exactly a centre of Spanish culture and it’s 1970’s architecture sometimes can be quite depressing. The weather is really good, rarely dropping below 10 C during the day and very sunny.

Information on the city:
http://www.alicante-ayto.es/redir.php?apartado=opciones&pagina=mapaweb.html

Studying Medicine

Alicante has two Universities. The first is the Universidad de Alicante, (www.ua.es) which has a lot of extracurricular activities based at its campus in San Vicente. The one where you will be studying is the Universidad de Miguel Hernandez (www.umh.es), based in Elche, a town about 30 minutes away. It has campuses in various towns, including the medical campus in San Juan (a small town 15 minutes by bus from Alicante), where you will be studying. Unfortunately this campus is quite small and there is very little in the way of student organizations etc. Lectures are held here, the ORI (Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales) is based here, as are your Spanish lessons.

The medical degree in Spain lasts 6 years. The first 3 are pre-clinical, and the last 3 clinical. You will be doing subjects in 4th and 5th year. In both these years the timetable is as follows: 9-12 in hospital doing ‘practicas,’ and then 1-5 at optional lectures. The focus of your stay is the practicas, as you don’t have to do any exams or attend lectures (though you are welcome to if you want). You have two options on how to do the practicas. You can either try and join a group of students and go to practicas with them, or go and arrange it by yourself. To go with students you need to talk to the ‘delegado’ (student rep) in each year. They arrange the groups of students and so they can help you find groups which fit your timetable and which aren’t full already. Basically, there is always a small group doing practicas in each subject for every week of the year, so fitting yourself in is quite easy, you just need to work out all the subjects you need to do, what order you want to do them in and in which hospital. The choice is Elche, San Juan, or Alicante. Where possible I always chose Alicante as it was nearest to my house. The other way to do it is to arrange it yourself. You will be given a letter from the Dean to the doctor in charge of each department where you are meant to study. Instead of going with the students, you can take this letter to the head and arrange your placement yourself. This will mean you have to be in hospital longer, from 9-3pm, but you will probably get more stuck in and be allowed to do more stuff. Personally, I would recommend going with the students, its less daunting, a good way of meeting people, and if you want to stay after the students leave you can.

Once you start your practicas you’ll realize that medical teaching in Spain is very different from Bristol! There’s a lot of following doctors around, and little time dedicated to teaching. Its rare for the Spanish students to do things independently (e.g. take histories by themselves, take blood etc.), though a lot depends on the doctor who you are assigned to. In Alicante there is a huge focus on theory and little on clinical skills, which is the opposite to Bristol. So it’s important that you ask to do the things that people in Bristol see and do. As the Spanish students are always studying for exams they aren’t very enthusiastic about ‘practicas’. If you can show a positive attitude, ask questions, take initiative and ask to do things etc., then doctors are often surprised but also very helpful, and you get good opportunities to see stuff you wouldn’t see in the UK. Some placements which you may not be signed up at the start, but which are worth going to, are vascular surgery (Dr Alberto Miñano), thoracic surgery (Dr Paniagua) (as soon as you arrive ask about the vascular and cardiac surgery tutorials, they are worth going to), and intensive care (Dr Canovas). All those doctors are very helpful and let you do a lot. The rheumatology placement (Dr Romero Pascual) is also good. If you get to know the ‘residentes’ (junior doctors) then you can sometimes go on call with then in ‘Urgencias’ (A+E), or on the wards.

Some useful websites:

1. The faculty website.
www.medicina.umh.es
2. A simple website about medical problems.
www.tuotromedico.com

Accommodation

The University has links with a company called Houses4U. Their houses are generally nice and well situated, but expensive, and full of Erasmus students. The company has a slightly negative image amongst Erasmus students as they do seem to overcharge.

Personally I would recommend staying in a hostel for the first week or so while you look for a place. This can be quite stressful but is probably worth it in the long run as you get to choose your house and housemates. It’s definitely worth it to try and live with at least one Spanish person as they can help you with your Spanish and show you things about Spanish culture etc. I would also recommend living in Alicante rather than San Juan as there’s more to do and most Erasmus students live in Alicante. Places to look for adverts are:

  • This Site
  • The library of the Universidad de Alicante
  • On bus stops, shop windows, telephone booths, and especially in internet cafés or international calling centres.

Make sure you visit the houses with a friend if you’re a girl.

The best places to live are around, from cheapest to more expensive, are the Plaza de Toros, Plaza de Los Luceros, El Centro. Talk to other Erasmus students to see if they have any spaces. Prices range from €140 to €250.

Extra-curricular activities

A good way to meet Spanish people is to get involved in some group activity. Below are some contact details for various places where you can find out about whats going on in Alicante:

Centro 14
C/ Labradores, 14
03002 Alicante
Tfno: 965.14.96.66
Fax: 965.14.06.13
Email: centro14@alicante-ayto.es

A centre for young people/adults run by the Ayuntamiento. Good place to pick up leaflets.

Centro de Tiempo Libre.
C/Azorín, 18 Bajo.
Tlf. 965 10 56 09.
www.gamalicante.com
E-mail: info@gamalicante.com
Horario: De Lunes a Viernes de 18 a 22 h.

Linked to Centro 14, they organise outdoor activities.

Hotel de Entidades de Interes Social
C/ Rafael Asín nº 12
03010 Alicante
Tfno.: 965 25 94 60
http://www.alicante-ayto.es/accionsocial/hotel_asociaciones.html

A centre for lots of different community organisations e.g. Medicos Sin Fronteras, Amnistia Internacional, etc. Again lots of leaflets here about different organisatons.

There is also a Centro de Voluntariado (get a tourist map when you arrive, it’s on there) where you can find out about opportunities to do voluntary work (this is great for meeting people). Look up Medicus Mundi in the San Juan campus, they run a volunteers program too.

Iberica
www.aventuraiberica.com

This is group who organize free outdoor activities.

Alacalle
www.alacalle.com

A great website listing everything that’s going on in Alicante.

For going out, there’s El Barrio (lots of nice bars, closes at 4am) and then El Puerto (a bit more commercial) with various other clubs dotted around the place. I’m sure you;ll have no trouble finding them! And when you have a free afternoon ask someone who has a car to take you to ‘La Teteria’ in Crevillente, its amazing!

When you arrive

This is by far the most stressful time. A few tips. Get to the ORI as soon as possible to get your bearings. This is in San Juan Campus, get the number 23 or 20H bus from Calle Alfonso Sabio to San Juan Campus. They can orientate you, help you with any questions and hopefully introduce you to some other Erasmus students. You need to give them your confirmation of arrival form. Ask them about arranging your practicas, get contact details of the delegado, check that you have been signed up to all the correct subjects, and arrange your Spanish classes (these are good to go to as you will meet all the Erasmus students).

Ask the ORI to introduce you to some Erasmus students if there are any around. These are the best people to talk to as they will probably have been there a few months already, and are normally really helpful. After all, a few months ago they were probably feeling as lost, nervous and confused as you!

Try to meet your buddy (and make sure you contact them before you get out there).

Get a SIM card for your mobile phone.

Try to keep your first week free of med school stuff, as this will give you more time to find a flat.

General Erasmus Information

For general information about what to do before you leave, what to take out with you etc, see the guide to France. One word of advice, ask the International Office in Bristol to send you the grant cheque in POUNDS, as it can be hard to open an account in Spain and is probably not worth the hassle. I found it easier just to use my English card to withdraw money.

Last of all, Erasmus is a great experience. It can be very daunting and sometimes quite depressing, but if you are prepared to make the effort and get stuck in then come March you won’t want to leave, and will have learnt loads about yourself, Spain and other people. So good luck and have fun!

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