Contents of this guide
The program according to the website
The page for the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery at Universidad Latina states that the program was updated by Resolution CTDA-144-2024 of the Technical Commission for Academic Development, dated December 2, 2024, and that it is taught in Spanish. It describes the aim of training a world-class physician focused on local practice, oriented to primary care. Among the core competencies it lists oral and written communication, mathematical reasoning, use of information technologies, learning to learn and autonomy.
The same page says final-year students can do up to twelve weeks of rotations in South Florida, in the FIU College of Medicine program, and points to three documents: the study plan in PDF, the program regulations and the internal regulations for clinical rotations. The university has campuses in Panama City, Penonomé, Azuero, Santiago and David, according to its campuses page; the campus where Medicine is taught is confirmed with admissions, because the program page does not specify it.
Entry requirements checklist
The requirements come from the Universidad Latina admission page. General documents for bachelor’s, technical and professional doctorate programs come first, followed by the additional ones for the Faculty of Health Sciences.
| Requirement | What the website says | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Photos and ID | Two passport-size photos and a copy of the valid national ID, with the original for checking; passport (first and last page) for foreigners | Everyone |
| High school diploma | Copy of the secondary education diploma recognized by the Ministry of Education, with the original for checking | High school in Panama |
| Secondary credits | Copy of the original transcripts, with the original for checking | High school in Panama |
| Chest X-ray | P.A. chest X-ray with the radiologist’s medical report | Health faculty |
| Vaccines | Vaccination card showing hepatitis B, measles, MMR, tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough | Health faculty |
| Psychological test | Requested as a faculty requirement | Health faculty |
| General knowledge | Test in physics, mathematics, biology and chemistry | Health faculty |
| Diagnostics | Tests in English and information technology | Health faculty |
| First aid | First aid course | Health faculty |
| Selection rules | The Doctor of Medicine and Surgery must also meet the program’s selection and admission rules | Medicine |
The website does not detail deadlines, the content of the psychological test or Medicine’s selection rules. Those points are confirmed with the admissions officer.
- Gather the general documents. ID or passport, photos, secondary diploma and transcripts.
- Schedule the exams and health records. The X-ray needs a radiologist’s report and the vaccination card must show the six listed vaccines.
- Prepare for the knowledge test. The website names four subjects: physics, mathematics, biology and chemistry.
- Complete the first aid course and the diagnostics. The university lists both among the faculty requirements.
- Ask about Medicine’s selection rules. This is the requirement the website does not develop.
- Enroll. The website says documents can be sent scanned and that the admissions officer holds a video call to check the originals, or the student presents them later at the university.
Universidad Latina de Panamá presents the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery in its Faculty of Health Sciences, with the CTDA resolution that updated it, the program profile and links to the study plan and regulations. The program page is on its website.
See the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery at Universidad Latina
If the high school diploma is from abroad
The university’s website asks, for those who finished high school outside Panama, for an apostilled diploma and transcripts (by the Panamanian consulate or embassy in the home country, or by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), the validation certificate from Panama’s Ministry of Education in original and copy, and a Spanish translation by an authorized public translator in Panama when documents are in another language. Foreigners also submit a copy of the passport. For the trip and stay, Radar’s guide to vaccines and health requirements to enter Panama gathers what is asked at the border, and the one on how the health system works explains the setting where graduates later practice.
Anyone who already completed part of the degree at another university can review credit recognition, which according to the website has a 60% credit cap, equivalence in credits, content, level and duration, and a minimum grade of C (71) at bachelor’s level.
How long the degree lasts
The program page does not publish a duration, which is checked in the study plan PDF. As a legal reference, the CTDA’s FE 001 oversight form transcribes from Executive Decree 539 of 2018 that bachelor’s degrees in fields such as Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Law have a minimum of 180 credits spread over a minimum period of four years, and that Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry and Optometry programs award the Professional Doctor diploma at the degree level. These are minimums: the real duration of each program is set by its study plan.
After graduating: internship and licensing
The degree is the first step toward practicing. The Technical Health Council of the Ministry of Health publishes the requirements to authorize the start of a physician’s internship, in a document reproduced by the University of Panama School of Medicine. They include a formal request, the diploma, the transcripts, a copy of the ID, the basic certification from the Interinstitutional Council of Medicine, the birth certificate, certificates of good physical and mental health and a photo. If the professional transferred courses, the transfer resolution and the official transcripts of the university left behind must be presented. For degrees earned abroad, authenticated or apostilled documents and the validation or exemption from the University of Panama are also required.
Licensing is granted by the Technical Health Council. Law 41 of 2002, which creates the Panama Medical Association, establishes that the Association takes part in granting licenses by reviewing documents and issuing a prior opinion at the Council’s request (articles 7 and 43). The Council’s document is undated and requirements can change, so they are confirmed with the Council’s Secretariat before starting. On the supply of doctors in the country, Radar has a piece asking whether Panama has enough doctors for its medical tourism.
What to ask before deciding
- At which campus is Medicine taught, and in what language? The website says the program is taught in Spanish.
- What are the program’s selection and admission rules and how are they applied?
- How long is the study plan and how are clinical rotations organized under the internal regulations?
- What dates apply to the knowledge test and the first aid course?
- What scholarship or financing options exist for the program? That information is requested directly from the university.
- What additional documents apply to a foreign student?
Frequently asked questions
What is needed to study medicine in Panama?
At Universidad Latina, the general entry documents plus the Faculty of Health Sciences requirements: chest X-ray, vaccines, psychological test, knowledge test, English and IT diagnostics and a first aid course. Medicine adds its selection rules.
Can a foreigner study medicine in Panama?
Yes, according to the requirements published by Universidad Latina, which ask for a passport, apostilled diploma and transcripts, Ministry of Education validation and an official translation if needed. Immigration conditions for the stay are checked separately.
How long does it take to study medicine in Panama?
The duration of each program is set by its study plan. As a legal minimum, medicine degrees have 180 credits over four years, according to the CTDA form quoting Decree 539 of 2018.
Where can medicine be studied in Panama?
Universidad Latina de Panamá offers the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery within its Faculty of Health Sciences, taught in Spanish. The campus is confirmed with admissions.
What degree is awarded when finishing medicine in Panama?
The Professional Doctor diploma at the degree level, according to the CTDA form. To practice, the license granted by the Technical Health Council is also needed.
This content is informational and does not replace the advice of the university’s admissions office or the health authorities, who confirm the requirements in force.
Related articles
- How Panama’s health system works: Social Security Fund, MINSA and the private sector
- Does Panama have enough doctors for its medical tourism?
- Vaccines and health requirements to enter Panama
Sources
- Universidad Latina de Panamá, Doctor of Medicine and Surgery: resolution CTDA-144-2024, profile, language and rotations.
- Universidad Latina de Panamá, admission requirements: general documents and Faculty of Health Sciences requirements.
- Universidad Latina de Panamá, Faculty of Health Sciences.
- Universidad Latina de Panamá, credit recognition requirements and campuses.
- Ministry of Education, CTDA form FE 001 (June 2019): minimum credit load and Professional Doctor diploma, quoting Executive Decree 539 of 2018.
- Ministry of Health, Technical Health Council: requirements to authorize the start of a physician and dentist internship, copy published by the University of Panama School of Medicine.
- Law 41 of August 5, 2002, Gaceta Oficial 24613: Panama Medical Association, articles 7 and 43.
Ask about this article
Type your question and we will show you the answer inside this article or in other Radar Panamá publications.
