The Ukrainian doctor who learned Spanish in a year and is now training to become an immunologist

This week marks the start of the Specialized Health Training ( FSE ) residency program in Spain: pharmacists, biologists, chemists, physicists, nurses, psychologists, and doctors are finalizing the last details to begin this new stage that will transform them into specialists. Margarita Gurkalo is one of these individuals who is experiencing this beginning with nerves and some uncertainty, although she has already gone through several challenges, such as moving to Spain from her native country to work in a new place while preparing for the MIR (Spanish Ministry of Internal Revenue), after learning Spanish in a year.

Gurkalo was born in Ukraine 31 years ago. She always knew she wanted to study medicine , although she also considered becoming a biologist. She ultimately opted for the Odessa National Medical University and completed her degree in 2016 before completing a residency in internal medicine at the regional hospital in the same city.

Later, he worked at the Central Hospital of Kiev and then practiced as an internist at a private hospital. Before that, while he was finishing his residency in late 2018 and early 2019, he began considering new options for his professional future. "I was finding that I didn't like the specialty, the environment, or the job opportunities," he recalls. It was then that he considered coming to the Basque Country , a place he had known for years, as he has family there.

She then began the process of having her medical degree recognized , which lasted almost three years. The first step was to master Spanish: " I learned it in about a year up to level B2 , but because COVID hit, I couldn't take the Instituto Cervantes exam in time." To do so, she attended language schools, private lessons, and also an online platform with a Valencian teacher. "It wasn't difficult at all for me, since I think Ukrainians are quite good at it. I also have the support of French, which, although I don't speak it now, was my first foreign language since I was little, and I also speak English at level C1. So, I have no problem learning new languages; I'm just good at it," she says.

Doctor in a residency while preparing for the MIR

Although he hadn't yet been certified, he moved to the Basque Country in 2021. In October of the following year, he finally obtained the qualification that allowed him to work as a general practitioner in nursing homes in Vizcaya. He hasn't attempted to have his internal medicine specialty validated due to the lengthy procedures.

Even before obtaining the certification, he began preparing for the MIR exam. "However, I still didn't make it in time to register," he clarifies. That's why he had to wait another year, specifically until January 25 , 2025. For much of that time, he combined his studies with his full-time work as a doctor . Later, he reduced his hours, and finally, the month before the exam, he took a vacation so he could fully dedicate himself to it.

"The exam It was harder than I imagined . But when I saw the questions, I thought we'd all be the same—frustrated. That day, I had a terrible headache I'd never had before, and I think it was due to tension. However, I was very calm , while my family and partner were super nervous and almost in tears. I was super focused on my exam, I did it, and I managed my time very well," she says.

Her efforts paid off, and she earned the ordinal number 4,098 , which allowed her to pursue her desired specialty at the center she wanted. The doctor explains that there were no immunology positions available in medicine in the Basque Country this year, so she found the Ramón y Cajal Hospital to be the ideal location for her.

"I was torn between immunology and radiology, simply for the quality of life and because I don't like being constantly caring for people ; I get very tired and find it very difficult to concentrate . I also don't cope very well with the level of stress that can result from caring for patients, for example, in the emergency room , in pediatrics, or in family medicine ," he says.

When deciding between the two, he decided to "choose with his heart," because although radiology had always caught his attention and he found it interesting, he also really enjoys research and the telescope . His passion for all of this led him to opt for immunology, a choice not particularly popular among residents . According to the report published by the Ministry of Health on the last day of the allocation of places, this was the ninth among the specialties that later filled all its places.

Her residency begins this Friday , although the day will focus on a welcome event before starting her training on Monday. " I'm a little nervous , even more so than when I got the position or when I was preparing for the exam , because it's something really new. I wasn't thinking about anything beyond taking the exam; I was very focused on it. What now? What awaits me?" she asks.

When he spoke with El Confidencial, he still had one important step ahead, which is turning into an odyssey: finding an apartment in Madrid. According to Gurkalo, it's not "being easy at all."

"It's crazy. They want to look at my one-year contract, which I don't have yet because I'm just starting out now, and they also want to know my most recent paychecks. They look at me like I'm a criminal , like I came from who knows where. I'm like a third-class person here ; I don't like the process at all," she laments.