Madeira expands medical specialist training for 2026
The Portugal Regional Health Service for Madeira has secured 41 specialist training posts for 2026, an increase from the 40 allocated in 2025 and the highest number the autonomous region has ever received. The positions, published in Diário da República on Tuesday, span 24 different medical specialties and mark what the health authority calls a consolidation of the region's training capacity.
New specialties arrive at Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça
The Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça in Funchal will offer training in five entirely new areas. Nephrology, Immunoallergology, Urology and Infectious Diseases each receive one post, while Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine gets two. The expansion means doctors can now complete specialist training in Madeira rather than relocating to the mainland.
Internal Medicine also received a boost, doubling from two posts in 2025 to four positions in 2026. The increase reflects growing confidence in the region's ability to supervise complex hospital training.
Family Medicine maintains lead role
General and Family Medicine retains the largest share of any single specialty, with eight posts allocated for 2026. The Serviço de Saúde da Região Autónoma da Madeira (SESARAM) stated that family doctor coverage is on track to reach 100% across the entire region.
This builds on progress already achieved. By March 2025, SESARAM reported full coverage with 200 family doctors serving the population, up from just 65% coverage in 2015.
Full breakdown of available posts
The remaining 2026 allocations cover a broad range of hospital disciplines:
• Anesthesiology: 3 posts
• Angiology/Vascular Surgery: 1 post
• Cardiology: 1 post
• General Surgery: 2 posts
• Gastroenterology: 1 post
• Gynecology/Obstetrics: 2 posts
• Immuno-Hemotherapy: 1 post
• Emergency and Urgent Medicine: 1 post
• Intensive Care Medicine: 2 posts
• Neuroradiology: 1 post
• Medical Oncology: 1 post
• Orthopedics: 1 post
• Clinical Pathology: 1 post
• Pediatrics: 2 posts
• Pulmonology: 1 post
• Rheumatology: 1 post
• Public Health: 1 post
What this means for patients
SESARAM described the training expansion as an investment that improves both professional qualifications and the quality of care available to residents. Training doctors locally increases the likelihood they will remain in the region after completing their specialization.
The region has used financial incentives to retain staff since 2020, including a monthly supplement of €700 for all SESARAM doctors. A 2018 regional decree allows an additional retention payment worth 40% of base salary for doctors who commit to stay for at least three years.
Some challenges remain. Certain specialties, including child psychiatry and radiology, still face shortages. In 2025, a handful of training posts went unfilled, including positions in Internal Medicine, General and Family Medicine, Public Health and Hematology.
