In 1918 his father sent Allende to study at the "Instituto Nacional" (National Institute) in Santiago. He then did his compulsory military service and entered the University of Chile to study medicine. Allende was a gifted, friendly and popular student; a great debater and public speaker and quickly becomes a student leader and vice-president of the FECH. (Student Federation of Chile). As an undergraduate student Allende requested to his parents to let him earn his own livelihood and he started to work as a paramedic in the ambulance services and as an assistant in pathology. He graduated with a medical degree in 1933.