First-year residents rotate through the Burn Unit, Traumatology, General Surgery and the ICU of the Traumatology Hospital. There are three months of rotation in each service. During the second year, rotations are carried out by the different subunits of the Service (Breast Reconstruction, Pediatric Plastic Surgery, Burns, Tumor Unit, General Plastic Surgery). On the fourth or fifth year, rotation to other hospitals is facilitated based on personal interest, and in the fifth year, a rotation is made through Cosmetic Surgery.

The Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), has its own animal facilities where students can practice microsurgery. Students may also study in the Burns Unit and take part in national and international publications and presentations.

Why specialise at Vall d’Hebron?

• Because we are leading centre throughout the National Healthcare System of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Andorra for surgery for burns patients and external ear reconstruction.
• Because we are the creators of the Telecremats project, which allows remote consultations so that patients do not have to travel to a health centre, and which also supports professionals working in the unit.
• Because we are experts in Catalonia in the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa.
• Because we have a Face and limb transplant programme and the Facial Traumatology Treatment Unit.
• Because we have a unit for surgical treatment of facial paralysis and another for pressure sores in patients with spinal cord injuries.
• Because we have a Cutaneous Tumour Unit.
• Because we have a unit dedicated to treatment of morbid obesity sequela.
• Because we have a Paediatric Plastic Surgery Unit, and in particular, a unit for treatment of paediatric vascular defects.
• Because we have a breast and lower limb reconstructive microsurgery unit.
• Because we treat serious cutaneous disease in the Exfoliative Dermatitis Treatment Unit (Lyell’s syndrome).
• Because we offer round-the-clock care, with shifts on duty 24 hours a day (consultant and resident).
• Because we oversee our residents’ surgical training so that they can take part in committees dealing with vascular defects, cutaneous tumours, septic patients, breast pathology and epidermolysis bullosa.
• Because residents take part in monthly morbidity and mortality sessions, and weekly single-specialisation and literature review sessions.
• Because we enable attendance at conferences and courses in the specialisation.
• Because we enable residents to undertake rotations at external national and international centres.
• Because we offer the chance to follow doctorate, postgraduate and doctoral thesis courses.

We are an active research centre with a high number of publications, at the same time as participating in several national and international programmes. We have also received awards at different conferences in the specialisation. 

The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation teaching programme includes key aspects for research, such as training in clinical epidemiology and clinical research methodology. In addition, our residents undertake research competence courses to complement their practical work. 

Why specialise at Vall d’Hebron? 

• Because the Rehabilitation Department at the Traumatology and Rehabilitation Hospital has 30 beds, allowing residents to undertake a rotation in Rehabilitation programmes, and carry out highly specialised management and integrated rehabilitation treatment.
• Because you will attend to patients with neurodegenerative illnesses and adults with cerebral palsy in particular.
• Because you will attend interdisciplinary consultations related to neurodegenerative diseases, including those in the Stroke Unit, Neuro Orthopaedics and Neuromuscular Diseases.
• Because you will take an active part in the team and the care team meetings.
• Because we are one of seven hospitals in the country accredited by the Ministry of Health (CSUR accreditation) to care for patients with hereditary ataxia or paraplegia.
• Because you will treat both adults and children with spinal cord injuries of traumatic or non-traumatic origin, and the subsequent complications that may arise.
• Because we offer residents a rotation to treat amputee patients, and training in their ongoing care in the acute pre-prosthetic hospitalization and subsequent rehabilitation training programme.
• Because you will take part in all aspects of injury rehabilitation, pain management and prosthetic prescription evolution analysis.
• Because you will work on prosthetic fitting and manufacture.
• Because you will work both in the hospital wards and with outpatients across the complete spectrum of chronic and acute musculoskeletal pathologies and pain syndromes.
• Because you will assess and treat infant and adult patients with cardiac and chronic respiratory disorders, using respiratory physiotherapy and strength training.
• Because we enable active participation in the infant cardiac and lung transplant rehabilitators programme.
• Because we have an ergometry room to carry out spirometry and lung and heart stress tests to enable us to prescribe quality training programmes.
• Because you will work with neuropaediatricians and infant orthopaedic surgeons on rehabilitation of patients with conditions such as brain lesions, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, scoliosis and hip dysplasia.
• Because you will work with all kinds of speech and language disorders that affect swallowing and communication, such as asphasia, dysarthria, dysphonia, laryngeal paralysis, dysphemia, cochlear implants, dysphagia, language development delays or disorders, diglossia, brain injury scar tissue, and hyperacusis.
• Because you will be an integral part of the communication and swallowing rehabilitation team, using techniques such as clinical audiometry, laryngeal stroboscopy, fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) and video fluoroscopy.  
• Because  we enable you to attend congresses and take part in conferences on advances in prostheses and orthotics, as well as a biannual course on evidence-based  rehabilitation and medicine, and courses on exercise programmes for pathologies of the musculoskeletal system and electrotherapy.

Paediatric Surgery is a discipline that covers a wide range of pathologies, from congenital, acquired, malformation, infectious and tumoral conditions, including thoracic, abdominal and genitourinary issues.

Our involvement in patient care spans from before birth (foetus, prenatal period) through to late adolescence.

To provide the highest quality, our service is structured into different subspecialities:

• Neonatal Surgery
• Oncological Surgery
• Digestive Surgery
• Thoracic Surgery
• Hepato-bilio-pancreatic surgery
• Urology

This innovative structure allows us to achieve a high level of super-specialisation and expertise in a specific area of modern paediatric surgery, which further benefits our paediatric patients and ensures a higher quality of care.

Our Paediatric Surgery department was the first in Spain to introduce a Foetal Surgery Programme, forming part of the multidisciplinary Foetal Medicine programme.

Similarly, we were the first hospital in Spain to perform paediatric transplants, kidney transplants from 1981 and liver transplants from 1985, including being the first to carry out a reduced liver transplant in 1987 and the first ‘split’ liver transplant in 1992. Our Hospital and our Department remain directly involved in the liver and kidney transplant programmes, which are among the highest volume and best-performing in the country.

We are committed to high-complexity surgery, introducing increasingly minimally invasive techniques to various paediatric-age groups, including neonatal surgery, and even venturing into foetal surgery. Among these minimally invasive techniques, we incorporate robotic surgery. Starting in 2009, we were the first paediatric hospital in the country to develop a robotic surgery programme.

Our department is currently accredited by various national and international benchmarking programmes: CSUR (Centres, Services and Units of Reference of the Ministry of Health) for Neuroblastomas, Childhood Sarcomas, Paediatric Liver Transplant, Paediatric Kidney Transplant, Bladder Exstrophy and Epispadias.

We are also ‘Full-Members’ of various ERN (European Reference Networks) such as ERNICA and EUROGEN, as well as Paediatric Oncology and Erythropathies.

Training at Our Department

In 2012, we received the Certificate of Hospital Accreditation for Specialist Training in Paediatric Surgery from the European Board of Paediatric Surgeons, with the endorsement of the UEMS, as a centre of excellence for the training of paediatric surgeons and in 2023, we were again re-accredited as a Centre for Training in Paediatric Surgery.

Our programme allows residents to gain comprehensive training in all areas of paediatric surgery, which, unlike programmes at other centres, encompasses everything from organ transplants to foetal surgery, including neonatal, oncological, thoracic, digestive and urological surgeries. Training emphasises the most advanced minimally invasive techniques, including robotic surgery. Our simulation laboratory for minimally invasive surgery enables our residents to train in an appropriate and safe environment.

During the first semester, residents undergo adult general and thoracic surgery training. Subsequently, they join our department, rotating through the various subspecialities according to their training programme. During on-call shifts (4-5 per month), the resident is accompanied by a senior doctor who is physically present. During continuous care, paediatric surgical emergencies are covered, and they participate in the paediatric polytrauma care programme. During these shifts, we encourage the resident’s autonomy in surgical decision-making and their proficiency executing the various surgical techniques performed. Furthermore, residents are integrated into paediatric transplant programmes (liver and kidney).

The training pathway for residents in our centre ensures learning across all paediatric surgical subspecialities, encompassing everything from outpatient surgeries to highly complex surgeries such as intricate oncological surgeries, complex anorectal malformations and solid organ transplants. Additionally, there is a six-month period where optional rotations can be undertaken, where the resident can choose from options available in our centre including: paediatric plastic surgery, paediatric cardiovascular surgery, paediatric neurosurgery, paediatric anaesthesia, paediatric maxillofacial surgery.

Continued training sessions are held between members of the department and external specialists:

• Morbidity and mortality session
• Clinical case session
• Surgical techniques session
• Pathological anatomy session
• Literature review session
• Resident session
• Weekly surgical planning sessions
• International staff session

During the final year of training, a rotation to international centres of excellence is encouraged. Throughout the residency, clinical and laboratory research is promoted, encouraging the presentation of papers at national and international conferences and publications.

Furthermore, training courses deemed necessary for the speciality are provided during the residency:

• Basic and Advanced Paediatric Resuscitation Course
• Initial Care for Paediatric Trauma
• Simulation in Minimally Invasive Technical Skills

Throughout rotations in various units, the relevant team provides information on courses and subspecialist conferences that are more appropriate to attend and/or submit papers. There are also specific courses which, depending on the resident’s interest, can be optional or mandatory.

In the field of research, residents are encouraged to participate in the department’s active research initiatives and new research that may or may not be related to these research lines and which may result in the pursuit of a doctoral thesis.

Currently, at the Vall d’ Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) we maintain several established paediatric research lines in experimental surgery, specifically focusing on foetal surgery. In 2015 we created the Bioengineering group, Cellular Therapies and Surgery in Congenital Malformations, which is currently researching prenatal treatment of spina bifida and congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Moreover, among other projects, we have conducted research on amniotic band syndrome, gastroschisis, oesophageal atresia and bladder augmentations. These translational research programmes have enabled patients to benefit from them, notably the FETO techniques (foetal tracheal occlusion in the serious congenital diaphragmatic hernia) and the prenatal repair of the myelomeningocele, initially by open surgery and since 2015 via fetoscopic methods.

Regarding clinical research, the first multicentre randomised controlled trial on the treatment of parapneumonic empyema stands out, comparing video-assisted thoracoscopy to drainage and use of fibrinolytics, subsequently published in the journal Pediatrics. Additionally, there are numerous clinical research lines across all units, with publications in national and international journals.

At the same time, we collaborate with other research teams, particularly in the field of paediatric oncology, as well as in collaborative studies and international multicentre studies. Experimental research groups:

• CIBBIM Bioengineering, Cellular Therapies, and Surgery for Congenital Malformations (VHIR)
• Translational Research Group in Childhood and Adolescence Cancer (VHIR)

Why should I specialise at Vall d’Hebron?

• Because we have received the Certificate of Hospital Accreditation for Specialist Training in Paediatric Surgery, which certifies us as a European centre of excellence for resident training.
• Because we offer tertiary-level training in all areas of paediatric surgery, including solid organ transplants and foetal surgery.
• Because we are committed to minimally invasive surgery, encompassing the only paediatric robotic surgery programme in the country and the most advanced techniques for neonatal patients.
• Because every week, we hold surgical programming sessions to discuss the most complex cases, continuous training sessions to keep up with the latest knowledge, morbimortality and surgical technique sessions.
• Because we are pioneers in paediatric transplants in Spain, having performed the first paediatric kidney transplant (1981) and the first paediatric liver transplant (1985).
• Because in 2001, we created the first foetal surgery programme in Spain, and we were the first to undertake prenatal treatment of severe diaphragmatic hernia and the fetoscopic treatment of myelomeningocele.
• Because paediatric oncology and oncological surgery at Vall d’ Hebron Hospital are nationally and internationally renowned, treating the largest number of patients in Spain, and handling the most complex tumours.
• Because, with the expertise of specialists, we have integrated the most advanced techniques in treating thoracic wall malformations.
• Because we are the leading centre for paediatric hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery.
• Because we organise national and international courses in areas of excellence.

The Cardiology Department Teaching Unit at Vall d’Hebron Hospital is divided into nine operational units. These include Outpatients, conventional wards, the Day Hospital, the Coronary Care Unit, Intensive Coronary Care, Semi-critical Care, Echocardiography and Cardiac Imaging, Haemodynamics and Angiocardiography, Arrhythmia, Nuclear Cardiology and the Experimental Laboratory. It should be said that the Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, part of the Cardiology Department, is unique within Spain.

We work in multidiscipline areas to treat specific medical problems such as Marfan syndrome and Congenital Heart Disease, and are national leaders in both fields. Our activity is always patient-centred and aims to maximise outpatient care and general cardiology. To this end we regularly run clinical care and scientific sessions that involve all professionals in the Department.

During training, residents progressively increase their level of skill, from taking medical histories at the start of their training, for example, to the use of automatic defibrillators in the final phase of their residency. 

During the first year residents undertake shifts in Internal Medicine, with one shift a month in Cardiology. In the second and third year they do shifts in clinical cardiology within the Accident and Emergency Department. The fourth and fifth year include shifts in the Coronary Care Unit and Haemodynamics.     

In terms of training, there are sessions, seminars and courses, and residents’ participation in national and international congresses, conferences, seminars and courses is encouraged.

At the end of the cardiology residency, it is possible to continue training in research as part of the Riu Ortega programme for the Carlos III Health Institute. We also take part in undergraduate and postgraduate research staff training programmes run by the Generalitat of Catalonia’s Department for Education and Universities and the Ministry of Education.

Research activities  of note include collaboration with the International Doctorate School on myocardial consequences, in cooperation with the University of Giessen (PROMISE), funded by the German organisation DFG and BIOCAT.

Why should you specialise at Vall d’Hebron?

• Because the Multidiscipline Unit of Adult and Adolescent Congenital Heart Disease is a leader within Spain.
• Because we are a national point of reference through the development of the European Cardiology Society’s clinical practice guides for disorders such as valvulopathy, endocarditis, aortic pathology, coronary syndrome, syncope, congenital heart disease, acute coronary syndrome and pericardium disease.
• Because we are national and international pioneers who have been developing our own healthcare protocol for each cardiac pathology since 1981.
• Because we offer residents shifts in Cardiology within the Accident and Emergency Department, supported by a consultant and two residents in person, and a haemodynamics specialist who can be reached if necessary.
• Because in Cardiac Care we have a daily meeting with the previous shift attended by the team on duty, the Head of Department and the Heads of Unit.
• Because we have a daily Coronary Care Unit meeting at the end of every day, attended by staff doctors, residents, and the consultant and resident who have been on duty.
• Because we organize two weekly nuclear cardiology sessions, attended by the cardiologist in charge of the section, the cardiology resident and doctors from Nuclear Medicine.
• Because we carry out three cardiac imaging sessions a week, attended by the doctors training in the echocardiography and ergometry unit, during which cardiac MRI and CT scans are discussed, along with echocardiographic and magnetic resonance assessments of particular interest.
• Because we hold a weekly session on electro physiology and arrhythmia with paediatric cardiology and adult congenital heart disease.
• Because we deal with infectious endocarditis (in collaboration with Bacteriology, Infectious Diseases and Cardiac Surgery) in a dedicated weekly session.
• Because we hold weekly seminars in the Experimental Cardiology Laboratory, and fortnightly seminars from the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute.
• Because the top cardiologists and cardiovascular researchers in Spain and Europe take part in our clinical sessions, which are recognised by the SNS (National Health Service) Continuous Professional Development Commission, and the Catalan Council for Continuing Medical Education.
• Because every year we offer courses in echocardiography, pacemakers and arrhythmia, adult congenital heart disease and nuclear cardiology, and Advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation courses organised for Cardiology residents, in addition to other courses.
• Because we encourage residents to take part in the National Cardiology Congress and the European Cardiology Congress during the final years of their residency.
• Because we enable residents to undertake part of their residency training in other centres, particularly in New York, Washington, London and Cologne.

Our Teaching Unit attracts medical students from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, residents and specialists. Every year, it teaches over 120 resident doctors (45 of whom are the service's own residents) in the cross-cutting, specific skills of Anaesthesia and Resuscitation, and in Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) for anaesthesia, and complements the training of over 20 specialists in anaesthesia and other specialities. It also offers an advanced international training programme in Paediatric Anaesthesia. 

On our Campus, you have the opportunity to attend, learn and reflect on the care performed for all kinds of pathologies. In order to facilitate integration into the service and speciality, during the first month of rotation, the resident is trained in cross-cutting skills, via the Hospital's Teaching Unit, and in the basics of Anaesthesia and Resuscitation, through a personalised training plan. In addition to assisting in various areas, sessions and compulsory courses, the individual training plan for our residents includes participation in the theory-practical modules specifically designed for each training year. These are run by experts in the specific subject skill of the module.

The efforts of our Teaching Unit are directed towards training excellent, thoughtful professionals with a critical spirit, by and for our present-day society. 

In 2023 Dr. Marc Mendo, resident of Anesthesiology in Vall d'Hebron, wins the Jo Innovo Award 2023. His innovative project, 'High Level Support for Critical Situations', revolutionizes the response to cardiac arrest with a unique application. The award includes support from Vall d’Hebron to implement the idea, as well as an experience at the Karolinska Institute.

Why practise this speciality at Vall d'Hebron?

• Because the teaching here ensures safe, high-quality clinical practice, with Teaching Coordination that continually reviews and supervises the protocols and knowledge that are taught.
• Because we prepare you for a future in which residents can perform anaesthesia and resuscitation applied to all existing specialities and in any healthcare hospital.
• Because we have trained over 400 professionals and we have had extensive experience in training Anaesthesia and Resuscitation specialists since 1972.
• Because we offer residents a weekly course where practice and simulation is the most commonly used methodology, in order to ensure real, high-quality learning.
• Because we foster the participation of residents in existing lines of research.
• Because we also offer residents the opportunity of doing their doctoral thesis with us.
• Because we are the cutting edge and we include new surgical techniques, new diagnostic methods and treatments on demand. 
• Because the training we offer is cross-cutting and residents learn not only the most common, but also the most complex procedures.

The Allergology Unit has been training residents since 1982, and is where most heads of allergology divisions in Catalonia did their training.

We attend to outpatients regarding allergic respiratory disease, paying special attention to asthma, complex food allergies, hymenoptera allergies, chronic urticaria, atopic dermatitis, and drug allergies.

The Day Hospital carries out controlled drug exposure tests and chemotherapy and other drug desensitization therapies. The paediatric unit carries out food desensitization therapies. We also deal with hospital consultations on a daily basis.

The unit carries out clinical research  in the fields of  anaphylaxis, hereditary angioedema, food allergies  and  chronic urticaria. In terms of  experimental research , we offer the opportunity to carry out specific immunoglobulin E and G tests by biochip, and  basophil activation tests. Five doctoral theses have been supervised by the Unit and all its staff physicians are qualified Doctors of Medicine.

Why specialise at Vall d’Hebron?

• Because we are a tertiary hospital with outstanding departments. The number of patients who pass through the centre offers great potential for learning and gaining experience.
• Because we cover most specialisations and you will have the opportunity to see complex pathology and to use cutting-edge diagnostic techniques and treatments.
• Because our training programme can adapt to the initiative and vocation of each resident, with more emphasis on patient-contact or research according to their needs.
• Because you will have the opportunity to see complex pathology and use cutting-edge diagnostic techniques and treatments, such as monoclonal antibodies, the application of drug desensitization protocols and the management of hereditary angioedema.
• Because you will have the opportunity to present papers at national and European allergy conferences. At the most recent events we received awards for the best paper in several areas.
• Because we give fourth year residents contacts to assist with research and stays abroad. In recent years our residents have spent time in clinical allergy units in Rome and Montpellier, and in research centres such as the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. All fourth year residents are offered funding for the European Examination in Allergology and Clinical Immunology, which 85% of our residents have successfully passed to date.
• Because your knowledge will be continuously updated through a programme of specialised, literature and clinical sessions, which take place four days a week.
• Because in 2010 the Allergology Teaching Unit was assessed by the Allergology Department of the European Union of Medical Specialists, who accredited it as a Specialised Allergy and Immunology Training Unit.

Prospective radiologists need a solid medical foundation to work closely with specialists from other medical disciplines. For this reason, training in diagnostic imaging, clinical radiology and bioethics is complemented with knowledge on pathological and functional aspects of diseases. 

Why specialise at Vall d’Hebron?

• Because we are a tertiary hospital with outstanding departments. The number of patients who pass through the centre offers great potential for learning and gaining of experience.
• Because we cover most specialisations and you will have the opportunity to see complex conditions and to use cutting-edge diagnostic techniques and treatments.
• Because our training programme can adapt to the initiative and vocation of each resident, with more emphasis on patient-contact or research according to their needs.

The Obstetrics and Gynaecology Teaching Unit trains residents in the physiological and pathological aspects of human reproduction, and also pregnancy, birth and post-partum care, and their disorders. It also deals with the organs that make up the female genital tract and breast care. Related preventative, psychic, and social aspects are also within its scope.

Why specialise at Vall d’Hebron?

• Because we offer maximum complexity care to mother and son, and that differs from the rest of the hospitals. This advantage causes the mother-son binomial to be separated at no time if there is any complication.
• Because we are a tertiary hospital with outstanding departments. The number of patients who pass through the centre offers great potential for learning and gaining experience.
• Because we cover most specialisations and you will have the opportunity to see complex conditions and to use cutting-edge diagnostic techniques and treatments.
• Because our training programme can adapt to the initiative and vocation of each resident, with more emphasis on patient-contact or research according to their needs.

Paediatric nursing specialists provide independent nursing care to babies, children and adolescents at all levels, as well as dealing with disease prevention and rehabilitation. They work as part of a multidisciplinary team and in collaboration with specialist nursing staff from other areas.

Why Vall d’Hebron?

• Because we are a reference hospital, both in Catalonia and at the national and international levels, with 200 highly specialised paediatric beds and a large team of paediatric nurses who will accompany you throughout your training programme.
• Because we have the capacity to provide specialised care for paediatric patients requiring all kinds of complex surgical interventions (cardiac, neurosurgery, solid organ transplantation, foetal interventions, etc.).
• Because you will be able to do rotations in specialised paediatric units such as EMS, Palliative Care, Primary Care, Burns Unit, Dialysis, Oncohaematology, Haematopoietic Progenitor Transplantation, Complex Chronic Patient Care Units of multiple specialities, etc.
• Because we have a large Neonatal Unit accredited in the NIDCAP model of care as well as a highly specialised Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, and because we are a centre accredited for our commitment to excellence in healthcare.
• Because you will be able to develop your skills in an immersion course at the start of your residency and in various specific paediatric care courses throughout the programme.
• Because you will have access to tutors with a high degree of training and involvement who will accompany you throughout your learning process and ensure that you receive the best possible training and have the opportunity to research and participate in innovative projects.

This includes basic clinical knowledge of diagnostic techniques, dietary and therapeutic measures and all aspects of preventative medicine related to these fields. Other specialist departments are also involved in the Endocrinology and Nutrition Teaching Unit, such as Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Nephrology, Neurology, Paediatrics, Nuclear Medicine, and the Nutritional Support Unit and the Accident and Emergency Department.

Why specialise at Vall d’Hebron?

• Because we are a tertiary hospital with outstanding departments. The number of patients who pass through the centre offers great potential for learning and gaining of experience.
• Because we cover most specialisations and you will have the opportunity to see complex conditions and to use cutting-edge diagnostic techniques and treatments.
• Because our training programme can adapt to the initiative and vocation of each resident, with more emphasis on patient-contact or research according to their needs.