Havana. The Latin American Medical School (ELAM – Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina) in Cuba has received accreditation from the Union of Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (UDUALC).
She has thus gone through the complex process of the institution and the medical degree program, which was carried out by the Council for International Assessment and Accreditation of the Union.
This award is valid for six years and is based on meeting strict quality parameters in the areas of university management and infrastructure, training, research, artistic creation and innovation, and internationalization. ELAM is the first medical facility in Cuba to receive this certification. Other higher education institutions such as the universities of Havana, Las Villas and Camagüey and the Polytechnic (CUJAE) have already received these.
The ELAM was initiated by Fidel Castro and inaugurated on November 15, 1999. The specific reason was the many deaths and injuries caused by hurricanes Mitch and George in the Caribbean and Central America. Because there was a lack of doctors in many of the countries and Cuba wanted to help, ELAM was intended to improve medical care in the affected countries not only in the short term, but also in the long term.
The number of students continued to increase due to demand and quality. Later, students from Africa, North America, Asia, the Pacific and Arabian regions were also accepted. For students from poor backgrounds, the course is free and is supported by the Cuban state. Otherwise, scholarships are awarded. Graduates are expected to return to their regions of origin to improve medical care there. This is also fulfilled by almost everyone.
The rector, Dr. Yoandra Muro Valle, reported that 19 cohorts of graduates from more than 120 countries have already completed their studies. By 2019 alone, ELAM had trained 29,000 doctors, half of whom were women. 75 percent of them were children of workers or farmers and they represented 100 ethnic groups.
In announcing the successful accreditation, Cuba’s Minister of Health, José Angel Portal Miranda, thanked the efforts of teachers, students and administrative staff. The international certification guarantees the quality of the training offered by this center and improves the opportunities of university graduates to enter the labor market. The registration and application process for new students is currently underway.