ACCREDITATION OF TRAINING CENTERS FOR MEDICAL SPECIALISTS (1979-1994)

Abstract

The National Committee of the Association of Medical Schools of the Accreditation of Medical Centers to train specialist is active since 1979. At the present time, 1547 postgraduate medical students are engaged in training programs lasting 2 to 3 years. During the period in which the Committee has operated, 591 centers were assessed. Sixty percent were approved but the deficient academic or technical facilities for clinical practice or teaching motivated the rejection of 14%. During these years, several problems were detected such as the support given by the authorities of medical schools to accreditation, the instability and shortage of teaching faculty, the persistence of training programs in rejected center, the excessive number of students for the capacity of the teaching center, the faulty integration between Medical Schools and the National Health Service and the increasing competition of scientific societies and private health institutions with medical schools in teaching activities. These issues must be appraised both at medical schools and the National Health Services.