Title: Veme-Obeme App Enhances Human Rights for Medical Students at Universidad Veracruzana
Date: 06/30/2023
Location: Xalapa, Veracruz
The Veme-Obeme mobile application (App) has emerged as a powerful resource in promoting human rights among medical students at the Universidad Veracruzana (UV). Developed as part of the 2021-2025 Work Program “For an Integral Transformation,” the app functions as a platform to gather observations and enhance communication between students and the authorities.
Launched in January 2023, the Veme-Obeme application represents a collaborative effort involving various departments within the university. Representatives from the Office of the General Counsel, Institutional Development Secretariat, General Directorates of Liaison and the Health Sciences Academic Area (DGAACS), and other relevant offices joined forces to develop this innovative tool.
The app was officially unveiled to the Rector Martín Aguilar Sánchez on December 5, 2022, and integrated into the induction courses for medical interns across four out of five faculties. The training sessions included both virtual and face-to-face participation, emphasizing the importance of utilizing the application effectively.
The Veme-Obeme application is seamlessly connected to a management and statistics system, allowing authorities from DGAACS, faculty directors, academic secretaries, internship coordinators, social service and medical specialties, and the Observatory of Medical Education and Human Rights (Obeme) to receive and analyze all observations submitted by students.
Since its launch, the Obeme has generated 19 reports, which have been shared through institutional emails with the Medicine interns of the January-December 2023 promotion, the university units involved in the app’s development, and the authorities of DGAACS and the five Faculties of Medicine.
While the application continues to show its potential for fostering positive change and improvements, there are areas of opportunity that need to be addressed. To maximize its impact, the app needs to be further promoted among students and extended to other universities and healthcare institutions. Encouragingly, the Veme-Obeme application has already garnered interest and received positive feedback from individuals within educational and healthcare institutions outside the UV.
The Observatory of Medical Education and Human Rights (Obeme), responsible for overseeing the implementation of the app, was established in August 2017 through a collaboration between the Institute of Public Health and the University Coordination of Observatories. Led by Francisco Domingo Vázquez Martínez, a researcher at the Institute of Public Health, the Obeme utilizes surveys to collect feedback from medical interns, interns, and residents, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of human rights practices.
The Veme-Obeme application marks a significant step forward in the promotion and protection of human rights within medical education. As it gains traction and evolves, it has the potential to become a model for other institutions and contribute to the broader improvement of medical education nationwide.
Categories: Human Rights, General, Principal, Work Program 2021-2025, Technology
Tags: mobile application, app, University Coordination of Observatories, survey, Faculties of Medicine, Institute of Public Health, Observatory of Medical Education and Human Rights (Obeme)