The Cuban doctor Mónica Serrano featured in one of the most moving moments circulating on social media this week: her reaction upon learning that she had passed the National Revalidation Exam in Brazil, the only official mechanism that allows doctors trained abroad to practice legally in that country.
In the video, posted on her Instagram account @dra.monica.serrano, the young woman bursts with euphoria and gratitude upon seeing the result on screen. "I passed, my love, I passed!" she exclaims.
At the bottom of the post, he wrote: "I can officially thank God for this opportunity to practice medicine after passing the National Revalidation Exam in Brazil."
Mónica is originally from Holguín and graduated with a degree in Medicine in Cuba in 2018. She has been married for seven years and has one child. She has been living in Brazil for two years.
The Cuban doctor assures that in less than a year, a physician can prepare to pass this important exam. She now has an academy where she teaches other doctors from the island to succeed in this challenge.
The Revalida is a process managed by the National Institute of Educational Studies and Research of the Ministry of Education of Brazil, consisting of two phases: a written knowledge test and a practical clinical skills assessment.
His level of demand is notable. Between 2011 and 2023, less than half of the candidates managed to pass even the first phase, and in 2017 the overall approval rate was only 5.27%, the lowest in the historical series.
For Cuban doctors, the path is especially challenging. A study cited by the Faculty of Medicine at the University of São Paulo and the Brazilian Medical Association reported that 90.7% of the doctors trained in Cuba failed the first phase in a cohort of 300 candidates.
However, in cumulative analyses up to 2018, Cuba was the third nationality with the highest number of approvals in absolute terms—over 2,000—with an average rate of 28.8%, comparable to the overall average of the exam.
The presence of Cuban doctors in Brazil has its roots in the Mais Médicos program, launched in 2013, which brought thousands of professionals from the island to work in remote areas of the country. When Cuba withdrew its doctors from the agreement in 2018, many chose to stay independently and face the validation process to be able to practice.
According to data from August 2025, around 1,064 Cuban doctors had obtained professional registration after passing the Revalida, while approximately 2,660 remained active within the Mais Médicos program.
The comments on Dr. Serrano's video reflect the collective dimension of the achievement. "That was exactly my reaction in 2021 when I revalidated; afterwards, I spent an hour unable to do anything," wrote a user.
Another person sent congratulations "on behalf of a Cuban doctor in Switzerland." Someone else summarized the sentiment of many: "Cubans always succeed outside our country; the dictatorship prevents the people from developing."
The case of Dr. Serrano adds to a recurring pattern among Cuban doctors who have emigrated and celebrate on social media the recognition of their degrees, which has also been documented in Spain, Uruguay, and Mexico.
Behind each video are years of study and personal sacrifice to regain the right to practice a profession that in Cuba provided them with minimal wages and limited freedoms.
"Congratulations, here you will earn as you should," wrote another follower, summarizing in a few words what it means for so many Cuban professionals to cross that line.
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