The Provincial Council of Huesca (DPH) and the University of Zaragoza have an agreement with a budget of €50.000 to promote university internships in rural health centers throughout the province. This initiative is aimed at students and graduates in Medicine and Nursing. “In its latest edition, there has been exponential growth, yielding very promising figures for our region given the shortage of doctors, especially in rural areas. We have gone from 31 internships in 2024 to 66 in the 2025 edition,” stated the President of the Provincial Council, Isaac Claver.
The ultimate goal of this agreement is to attract talent to rural areas, both for those unfamiliar with them and for those already connected to them who can discover new opportunities. Claver himself emphasized that "we are committed to transforming this young talent into a driving force for life and growth in the towns of our province."
In 2023, 36 internships were carried out within this program. During 2024, there were 31 internships, completed by 27 students; and in 2025, the number reached 66 internships, completed by 51 students, reflecting a significant increase in demand for this program.
In terms of internship periods, the increase compared to the previous year is 113%. Regarding participating students, the growth is 96%, practically doubling in just one academic year.
Ana Lardiés, a native of Monzón and a fifth-year medical student, was one of the participants in this program. She says, “The greatest learning experience has been truly getting to know the rural world through the lens of healthcare, where professionals have given me the opportunity to participate under supervision. You arrive at a small clinic with limited resources, but you learn to prioritize and listen to the patient, who has a close, trusting relationship with the doctor.”
After three editions, over 95% of participants would repeat the experience, and over 98% say that participating in this program has changed their perception of rural life. Furthermore, students rate the level of integration of participating organizations into rural communities at over 9 out of 10.
The 'Rural Erasmus' program continues to be very well received
In addition to the aforementioned agreement, both institutions collaborate closely to maintain one of their most popular programs. This ongoing initiative has also been very successful in our province, enabling 34 students and 5 graduates to participate in it last year in municipalities of Alto Aragón. The Provincial Council contributes €60.000 to this project. The initiative is carried out in collaboration with Universa, a service of the University of Zaragoza, which manages and selects participants for the program.
During the 2025 academic year, the Veterinary Medicine degree program stood out, with four students completing placements in the municipalities of Benasque, Escarilla, Sarvisé, and Aínsa-Sobrarbe. Two Architecture students also completed their placements in Aínsa-Sobrarbe. In Almudévar, one Economics student and one student from the double degree program in Law and Business Administration (DADE) completed their placements, while Loarre hosted two Marketing and Market Research students and one Art History student.
Regarding the graduates: two students have completed their internships in Ansó, one from Industrial Design Engineering and the other from Primary Education Teaching; two from Law who have completed their internships in Sariñena and Berbegal; and one graduate in Social Work who has completed her internship in Aínsa.
