Francisco Afonso, 21 years old, attends the Integrated Masters in Medicine at Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Behind him are the years of learning at Colégio Alemão, where he was considered one of the best students of his year.

He even played in federated athletics, but it was his passion for medicine that prevailed. Early contact with doctors awakened his interest in this area. A sentence from a doctor ended up being decisive in his choice of the degree: "there is no certain profile to be a doctor. If you want to be a doctor, you can be one". 

He was a volunteer and that experience, filled with pride, helped him to win the Santander Scholarship, awarded by the bank to the student with the best average score on the degree programme.

Already attending the Integrated Masters in Medicine at Católica, where he feels at home, he represents first-year students on the Pedagogical Council, is part of the Communication team of the Students Union and, together with a colleague, created the Diversity Club.

Still discovering the different fields of medicine, he believes that contact with people and the desire to contribute to the well-being of humanity are his motivations for the professional he wants to be.

As for the future, although he cannot foresee it, he knows that he wants to leave his mark in the area of health. He opens up possibilities for teaching, an area he is very familiar with, were it not for his parents who are professors. He is also interested in research in the field of "HIV and tuberculosis therapies" and by direct contact with patients.

Until that moment arrives, he concentrates on his studies, since for Francisco "being a student represents the acquisition of tools for the construction of a better world: more just, with more equity and less poverty". The student believes that "education allows great changes in the world".

Happy with the choice of degree, the future doctor hopes that the Integrated Master in Medicine of Católica reaches the top 10 of the programmes in this area and to future colleagues he leaves the message: "Medicine is being made at Universidade Católica and this brings both freedom and responsibility".