Bolivian Public Universities Collaborate to Redesign Medical Curricula
La Paz, Bolivia, August 28, 2023 – Bolivian public universities have agreed to establish work teams in each university to redesign the curricula of medicine and equivalent degrees. The process will be overseen by the career directors of each Faculty of Medicine, following an agreement reached during the recent scientific academic meeting of all the Faculties of Medicine in Bolivia.
The meeting, entitled “Towards Curricular Redesign,” took place in La Paz from August 24 to 26 and was organized by the Bolivian Association of Medical Faculties (ABOLFAM). The event was sponsored by the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, with the participation of the Ministry of Health and Sports. The technical collaboration of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and funding from the Universal Health Coverage Initiative of the WHO and the government of Canada also supported the meeting.
During the meeting’s conclusion, several significant and priority agreements were announced. One such agreement called for the creation of communities of practice, facilitated by the PAHO/WHO, which will provide a platform for the exchange of experiences and reflections with national and international universities and institutions.
Additionally, a Hispanic-Bolivian working group will be established to review, update, and transition to a competency-based training system in the medical schools of the public university system in Bolivia. National meetings will be organized to develop agreements related to the redesign of various medical disciplines, including basic, clinical, surgical, and maternal and child sciences. These meetings will focus on establishing lines of research and facilitating teacher and student mobility to contribute to the development of competency-based curricula.
Furthermore, the faculty authorities and scientific research academics of the Faculties of Medicine have committed to coordinate with government levels, the Ministry of Health, Departmental Health Services SEDES, Short-Term Social Security (CNS), municipalities, and cooperation agencies and universities from other countries. This collaboration will aid in defining the competencies required to cater to the unique demographic, epidemiological, and social profiles of different regions in Bolivia.
The creation of the Andean Network of Medical Schools will enable cooperation in training teachers and establishing agreements for teaching team development, including training at the UDA (University of Aconcagua). Moreover, the meeting emphasized the importance of strengthening the research and development skills of teaching staff in Competency-Based Education and pledged technical support among national universities through the medical planning and education department.
At the international level, there was an agreement to conduct a survey on the inclusion of Public Health and Primary Health Care in the medical curricula and to redefine them based on competencies. The Spanish cooperation, invited to the meeting, has offered to assist in printing the training programs. The meeting concluded by affirming the intention to continue agreements with international cooperation agencies and universities from other countries.
The Scientific Academic Meeting of the Faculties of Medicine of Bolivia – “Towards the Curricular Redesign” – aimed to raise awareness among decision-makers in the health system and authorities of the medical careers of the Bolivian University System. The goal is to achieve a swift transformation of the medical education system in Bolivia that aligns with the country’s public health policy.