Revamping the Medical School Curriculum: Towards a More Practical and Comprehensive Education

2023-09-10 15:30:56

Las medical schools Spanish universities reopen their doors this Monday to more than 40,000 students who, eager for knowledge, enter the new academic year with the expectation of becoming competent professionals. At least, that is the theory, since the truth is that more and more people recognize their desire to ‘shake up’ the university career so that certain burdens, in their opinion, already overcome, can be released, or else they cry out for reorient the subjects towards other fields that are not so “over-specialized”. This is not an exclusive desire of the students: their teachers also demand a “different concept” of teaching that is “less fragmented” and, above all, more practical.

Obviously, there is no single point of view regarding where the medical career in Spain should go. In fact, the teachers and students consulted by Medical Writing They differ significantly in their ‘x-ray’ of the course subjects. In the case of Manuel Galvezassociate professor in the Department of Medicine of the University of Granada and international master in Medical Pedagogy, the biggest problem with the curriculum is that knowledge is “too spread out”. Young people, he concludes, “know a lot regarding everything, but not the whole”.

“We do not need Anatomy teachers, but rather surgeons who explain to students what to do”

He explains it in the following way: “If we have the best rice specialist, the best oil specialist and the best seafood specialist teach, each one will provide great knowledge of each thing, but the boys will not know how to make paella”, resume.

In this sense, Gálvez warns that medical schools give rise to a “fragmentation of knowledge” that, he reflects, might have made sense in the past, when Abraham Flexner At the beginning of the 20th century, it revolutionized the way Medicine was taught in the United States; but in current times it can be an unnecessary burden. “All knowledge does not fit in one head. When I saw my children, also doctors, study up to the last known variation of the bones, I was aware that this they were not going to use it in their life“, highlights.

The professor at the Granada university points directly to branches such as Anatomy and Histology, which, from his point of view, do not contribute much to a good part of the students. Regarding other subjects that are needed and are not being taught, Gálvez is clear: “None.”

“We don’t need teachers of Anatomy; We need surgeons to explain to students what to do. There is a lack of greater contact with clinical practice from the first year, beyond the fact that there is a common denominator of knowledge that every doctor should have,” he emphasizes.

Primary Care in the Medicine degree

Ana Presageneral secretary of the State Council of Medical Students (CEEM), agrees with Gálvez that the career It is excessively “theoretical.””, although their ‘recipe’ to remedy it is different. consulted by Medical Writingthis student from the University of Santiago de Compostela advocates for a “change of focus” that allows emphasis, among other issues, on the sociocultural aspects of the profession.

In this regard, he emphasizes that the degree in Medicine “is very oriented towards over-specialization, It focuses a lot on each specific specialty”, which in his opinion “makes a global, holistic perspective of the patient is lost.”

“Subjects that offer a more human, more social perspective are missing at the level of communication with the patient”, swipe. Presa, who warns that the “hegemonic canon” that prevails in the consultation “is far removed from the real profile” of the users, advocates including in the university plan subjects that address how economic inequalities or cultural diversity determine health. A position that endorses that of Maria Valderramapresident of the association, who recently defended the need to provide greater “empathy” medical training. “The race doesn’t need brainiacs,” he noted.

Likewise, it advocates delving deeper into the palliative care, gender and sexuality and a Primary Care that remains “invisible”especially those linked to rural and pediatric areas.

Demand from scientific societies

In fact, scientific societies are also asking for more efforts to ‘add’ Primary Care to the faculties. From SEMG (Spanish Society of General and Family Physicians) they have requested that the teaching plans for training in the degree delve into this subject, which, according to its person in charge, Pilar Rodríguez Ledois necessary to provide “foundation, consistency and prestige to specialists.”

Although it may contain statements, data or notes from health institutions or professionals, the information contained in Medical Writing is edited and prepared by journalists. We recommend the reader that any health-related questions be consulted with a healthcare professional.

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