PNA (Internato Médico)

Candidates seeking entry into Formação Especializada sit the Prova where applicable. The ACSS states that candidates who intend to complete only Formação Geral are exempt from sitting the Prova Nacional de Acesso. The single annual concurso also covers candidates for change of specialisation, reassignment and re-entry, under the terms of the law.

According to the ACSS, the Prova Nacional de Acesso is held in the 4th quarter of each civil year, at the location indicated in the application forms. The concurso itself opens in the 3rd quarter of the civil year, and the timetable, deadlines and formalities for each phase are set out in the Aviso de Abertura published beforehand in Diário da República (2.ª Série) and on the ACSS website.

The ACSS source does not specify the number of questions, item format, or duration of the Prova Nacional de Acesso. It states only that the exam takes place in the 4th quarter and that the bibliography is published on the ACSS website sufficiently in advance. Candidates should confirm format details in the Aviso de Abertura and the ACSS pages for the current year.

Candidates are ordered by their classification obtained in the Prova. The tie-break criterion is the normalised classification of the academic qualification certificate. For candidates who began their study cycle in the 2018/2019 academic year, seriation uses the harmonised classification, combining the Prova classification with the normalised classification of the academic qualification certificate.

The choice process runs between October and November of the civil year following the opening of the respective concurso. If a specialisation vacancy is obtained, entry takes place in January of the following year, with effects from its first day. Postponement of the start date is possible to safeguard justified circumstances, under the terms of the law.

Start from the bibliography published on the ACSS website for the current exam, since the ACSS states it is released sufficiently in advance. Build your plan around that list rather than around older material, and align revision with the 4th-quarter exam date. Confirm the applicable legal framework - Decreto-Lei n.º 13/2018 and the Regulamento approved by Portaria n.º 79/2018.

The ACSS states that there are currently 48 areas of specialisation, listed in Annex I of the Regulamento do Internato Médico. The ACSS website also publishes the training programmes for each area, which set out total duration, programme content, sequence of placements, and continuous and final assessment methods.

The ACSS source does not state a retake policy, a limit on attempts, a fee, or a validity period for the Prova Nacional de Acesso. These details are not confirmed by the available source and should be checked directly with the ACSS ([email protected]) or in the Aviso de Abertura for the year in question.

After completing Formação Geral with approval, autonomous practice of medicine is recognised. After completing Formação Especializada with approval, which presupposes homologation of the final classification, the Grau de Especialista is awarded in the respective area. The ACSS issues supporting documents such as the declaration of Prova classification and the specialist degree certificate.