Caracterización del Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de Matanzas y de la calidad de su claustro / Characterization of the Department of Morphological Sciences of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Matanzas, and the quality of its staff

RESUMEN Introducción: el comienzo la Docencia Médica Superior en Matanzas en el mes de enero de 1969 con un grupo de 32 alumnos en el sexto año de la carrera de medicina promueve un intenso trabajo para lograr la formación total de los médicos en la propia provincia, para lo que era necesario comenzar la enseñanza de las Ciencias Básicas Biomédicas y dentro de éstas, las disciplinas morfológicas (Anatomía, Histología y Embriología) y con ello propiciar la creación del Departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas. Objetivo: caracterizar al departamento de Ciencias Morfológicas y la calidad de su claustro hasta el año 2015. Materiales y métodos: se emplean en esta investigación métodos cualitativos del nivel teórico y del empírico, de este último las entrevistas, revisión de documentos y análisis porcentual. Resultados: fue un departamento creado en mayo de 1981 que alcanza importantes resultados en la calidad del claustro en 2011 donde el 84% del claustro tiene categoría docente principal de titular o auxiliar, el 90,9% es especialista de segundo grado y el 88 % ostentaba la categoría de Máster o Doctor en Ciencias. Conclusiones: se consideró un departamento de relevancia en la Universidad y que en 2015 es fusionado con el departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, pasando a formar parte de un departamento denominado Ciencias Básicas Biomédicas a lo que los autores de la investigación no le encuentran justificación, ni científica, ni didáctica.

ABSTRACT Introduction: the beginning of the high medical education in Matanzas on January 1969, with a group of 32 sixth-year student of the Medicine curriculum promoted an intense work to achieve the total training of the doctors in the province; therefore, it was necessary to begin teaching the Biomedical Basic Sciences, among them, the morphologic disciplines (Anatomy, Histology and Embryology), what lead to the creation of the Department of Morphological Sciences. Objective: to characterize the Department of Morphological Sciences and its staff quality up to 2015. Material and methods: there are used qualitative research methods of the theoretical and empiric levels like interviews, documental review and percentage analysis. Results: the department was created on May 1981; the quality of the staff reached important results in 2011, when 84 % of the staff accomplished the main teaching category of titular or auxiliary professor; 90.9 % of them are second grade specialists, and 88 % has the scientific category of Master or Doctor in Sciences. Conclusions: the Department was considered a relevant department in the University; in 2015 it was merged with the Department of Physiologic Sciences, in a department named Biomedical Basic Sciences. The authors consider that fact has neither scientific nor didactical justification.

Competências pedagógicas docentes sob a percepção de alunos de medicina de universidade da Amazônia brasileira / Faculty teaching skills perceived by medical students of a university of the Brazilian Amazon region

Resumo As Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais da graduação médica valorizam as metodologias ativas de ensino e a aplicação de novas competências pedagógicas no cenário atual. Nesse contexto, considera-se que a avaliação dos docentes pelos alunos constitui uma importante ferramenta para o desenvolvimento do ensino. Assim, objetivou-se identificar percepções discentes acerca das competências de docentes do curso de medicina da Universidade Federal do Amapá, por meio de pesquisa transversal e qualitativa a partir de 4 sessões de grupos focais, das quais participaram 28 alunos voluntários da primeira, segunda e terceira séries. As sessões foram gravadas e o conteúdo foi analisado em duas etapas, utilizando a plataforma Wordle.net e a técnica de Bardin. Os grupos focais discutiram cinco principais temas: competências pedagógicas dos docentes; planejamento acadêmico; avaliação das competências dos docentes pelos discentes; integração teoria-prática e processo ensino-aprendizagem. De forma geral, observou-se que todos os alunos apresentaram ideias semelhantes, porém os das séries mais avançadas demonstraram maior domínio sobre os temas. Destacaram-se a necessidade de aprimorar aspectos essenciais para a formação médica e a importância da avaliação constante desse processo.

Abstract The National Curriculum Guidelines for achieving a medical degree value active teaching methodologies and the application of new teaching skills in the current setting. In this context, we consider that evaluation of teachers by students is an important tool for the development of education. Therefore, we aimed to identify students perceptions about the skills of medical school faculty of the Federal University of Amapá (UNIFAP) through the implementation of a cross-sectional and qualitative research from four focus group sessions, attended by 28 volunteer students from the first, second and third year of the course. Sessions were recorded and the content was analyzed in two stages using the Wordle.net platform and Bardin technique. Focal groups discussed five main topics: faculty teaching skills; academic planning; faculty skills evaluation by students; theory-practice integration and the teaching-learning process. In general, it was observed that all the students had similar ideas, but those with more years in the course showed greater mastery of subjects. Worth highlighting were the need to improve essential aspects of medical training and the importance of constant evaluation of this process.

Condiciones del contexto educativo para ejercer el rol docente en Ciencias de la Salud: un enfoque cualitativo / The educational context to train health care professionals: a qualitative approach

Background: There are differences in the educational context in Health Sciences, between clinical and non-clinical teachers. Therefore, the didactic and reflexive peculiarities of both educational scenarios should be analyzed. Aim: To describe the conditions of the educational context in Health Sciences for the practice of the teaching role in a Chilean university. Material and Methods: Qualitative study, performed according to Grounded Theory of Strauss and Corbin. Thirty one teachers from six health sciences programs were selected according to Patton's maximum variation criterion and contacted personally, after an informed consent process. Semi-structured interviews and focus group were performed, analyzed by open coding, using the constant comparison method, with the Atlas-ti 7.5.2 software. Results: Six conditions of the educational context that can support the teaching role in these careers emerged. Namely, a clinical field suited for patient attention and teaching, classrooms designed for the new educational models, number of students in the classrooms and clinical settings, insertion programs for teachers' training, teachers' coordination and economic resources of the program. Conclusions: Health Sciences programs are developed in a complex educational context, having to articulate diverse elements to train professionals. Therefore, it is fundamental to understand the conditions of the educational context that can favor the practice of the teaching role, thus generating improvements in teaching-learning process.

Apuntes sobre la vida y obra del Dr. Angel Arturo Aballí Arellano / Notes on the life and work of Ph.D. Angel Arturo Aballí Arellano

Angel Arturo Aballí Arellano es considerado como uno de los pediatras más importante de la historia de la medicina cubana, hasta el punto que resulta prácticamente imposible acometer la historia de esta disciplina en nuestro país, sin el estudio profundo de su vida y obra, toda ella dirigida a la defensa de los intereses de la nueva generación, al estado de salud de la niñez, y a luchar por los recursos requeridos para su atención, bienestar y felicidad. Dedicó estudios a las enfermedades diarreicas, a la desnutrición y a la tuberculosis. Para estos fines inauguró el Dispensario Antituberculoso para Niños ¨Calmette¨; el Preventorio ¨Grancher¨ para Lactantes, una sala destinada para niños tuberculosos en el Hospital La Esperanza, y más tarde el Hospital Infantil Antituberculoso, que ostenta hoy su nombre, convertido al triunfo de la Revolución en Hospital Pediátrico General (AU).

Angel Arturo Aballí Arellano is considered one of the most important pediatricians of the Cuban medicine history, up to the point that it is almost impossible to write the history of this discipline in our country without deeply studying his life and work, all of it devoted to the defense of the new generations interests, the childhood health status, and to struggle for obtaining the resources required for their attention, welfare and happiness. He studied diarrheic diseases, malnutrition and tuberculosis. With this aim he inaugurated the Anti-tuberculosis Dispensary for Children Calmette, the Grancvher Preventer for Nursing Infants, a ward for tuberculous children at the hospital La Esperanza and later the Infantile Antituberculous Hospital that today is named after him and after the triumph of the revolution became a General Pediatric Hospital (AU).

Evaluación de docentes clínicos de Postgrado: desarrollo y propiedades psicométricas del instrumento MEDUC-PG14 / Development of MEDUC-PG14 survey to assess postgraduate teaching in medical specialties

Background: Feedback is one of the most important tools to improve teaching in medical education. Aim: To develop an instrument to assess the performance of clinical postgraduate teachers in medical specialties. Material and Methods: A qualitative methodology consisting in interviews and focus-groups followed by a quantitative methodology to generate consensus, was employed. After generating the instrument, psychometric tests were performed to assess the construct validity (factor analysis) and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha). Results: Experts in medical education, teachers and residents of a medical school participated in interviews and focus groups. With this information, 26 categories (79 items) were proposed and reduced to 14 items (Likert scale 1-5) by an expert’s Delphi panel, generating the MEDUC-PG14 survey, which was answered by 123 residents from different programs of medical specialties. Construct validity was carried out. Factor analysis showed three domains: Teaching and evaluation, respectful behavior towards patients and health care team, and providing feedback. The global score was 4.46 ± 0.94 (89% of the maximum). One teachers’ strength, as evaluated by their residents was “respectful behavior” with 4.85 ± 0.42 (97% of the maximum). “Providing feedback” obtained 4.09 ± 1.0 points (81.8% of the maximum). MEDUC-PG14 survey had a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.947. Conclusions: MEDUC-PG14 survey is a useful and reliable guide for teacher evaluation in medical specialty programs. Also provides feedback to improve educational skills of postgraduate clinical teachers.

Strategies in searching homogeneity in a faculty of a postgraduate program / Estratégias na busca da homogeneidade do corpo docente de um programa de pós-graduação

The professor plays a fundamental role in a graduate program, considering he/she is who plans and performs a great part of the tasks, and he/she is also responsible for spreading knowledge among students. The professor should use didactical resources for his/her continuous qualification, being responsible for situations favoring the development of students who should learn according to the best and easier way. The homogeneity in the postgraduate program consists of having subgroups of research corresponding to the Areas of Concentration, where each subgroup works with some distinct topics of research. It is desirable that the staff of postgraduate program has a significant and high quality scientific production, homogeneously distributed among them. The professors must systematically search for resources for research in agencies supporting research, not only for sponsoring the studies, but also for adding value to the researchers involved in the whole activities. The postgraduate programs need to support the professional qualification of their staff who should improve their knowledge on epidemiology for clinical studies, ethics in research and teaching skills. Two characteristics of the postgraduate system in Brazil are the nucleation and solidarity, based on the capacity and/or interest of those more structured programs to help those beginners, cooperating with their activities. The Capes (the national governmental agency responsible for coordinating and evaluating all postgraduate programs in Brazil) valorizes the social insertion in the context of postgraduate programs´ activities. It includes the recognition of activities with technological, cultural, educational and social impact as criteria for evaluation of the programs. Does exist an ideal model of postgraduate program? We think that there is no a mathematical formulae nor an ideal model for a postgraduate program. Each institution should make adaptations and search for improvements of their faculty and students´ teams.

O docente tem importância fundamental no programa de pós-graduação, pois é quem planeja e executa grande parte das tarefas, sendo também o responsável por difundir conhecimentos aos alunos. O professor deve utilizar recursos didáticos que o qualifiquem continuamente, criando condições favoráveis para que o aluno se desenvolva e aprenda da melhor maneira e com mais facilidade. A homogeneidade no grupo de pós-graduação consiste da presença de subgrupos de pesquisa correspondentes às Áreas de Concentração, onde cada subgrupo trabalhe com algumas linhas de pesquisas diversificadas. É desejável que o corpo docente tenha significativa produção científica, de qualidade e distribuída homogeneamente entre os docentes. Estes devem sistematicamente buscar recursos em agências de fomento para pesquisa, tanto para o custeio dos estudos, quanto para a valorização dos pesquisadores envolvidos em todas as atividades. Os programas de pós-graduação precisam investir na formação de seus docentes, os quais devem aprimorar seus conhecimentos em epidemiologia de estudos clínicos, ética em pesquisa e em didática. Duas das características do sistema de pós-graduação no Brasil são a nucleação e a solidariedade, embasadas na capacidade e/ou interesse dos mais estruturados se solidarizarem com os programas iniciantes, cooperando com as suas atividades. A Capes valoriza a inserção social no contexto das atividades dos programas de pós-graduação, prevendo nos critérios de avaliação o reconhecimento de atividades com impacto tecnológico, cultural, educacional e social. Existe um modelo ideal de pós-graduação? Partimos do pressuposto de que não há uma fórmula matemática ou modelo ideal de pós-graduação e sim que cada instituição deve se adequar e buscar aperfeiçoar seu corpo docente e discente.

Needs assessment for developing teaching competencies of medical educators / 한국의학교육

PURPOSE: This study conducted a needs assessment for developing teaching competencies of medical educators by assessing their perceived ability to perform teaching competencies as well as their perceived importance of these competencies. Additionally, this study examined whether there were any differences in needs assessments scores among three faculty groups. METHODS: Hundred and eighteen professors from Dong-A University College of Medicine were surveyed, and the data from 44 professors who answered all the questions were analyzed using IBM SPSS 21. The needs assessment tool measured participants' perceived ability to perform teaching competencies and perceived importance of these competencies. The Borich formula was used to calculate needs assessment scores. RESULTS: The most urgent needs for faculty development were identified for the teaching competencies of "diagnosis and reflection," followed by "test and feedback," and "facilitation." Additionally, two, out of 51, items with the highest needs assessment scores were "developing a thorough course syllabus" and "introducing students to the course syllabus on the first day of class." The assistant professor group scored significantly higher on educational needs related to "facilitation," "affection and concern for students," and "respect for diversity" competencies than the professor group. Furthermore, the educational needs scores for all the teaching competencies except "diagnosis and reflection," "global mindset," and "instructional management" were higher for the assistant professor group than the other two faculty groups. CONCLUSION: Thus, the educational needs assessment scores obtained in this study can be used as criteria for designing and developing faculty development programs for medical educators.

Barreras para la formación en docencia de los profesores de medicina: una aproximación cualitativa / Barriers for faculty development in medical education: a qualitative study

Background: Since 2000, the medical school of the Catholic University of Chile (EMUC) has offered courses for its faculty as part of a Diploma in Medical Education (DEM). However by 2009, 41% of faculty had never taken any courses. Aim: To explore the reasons why faculty choose not to participate in these courses. Material and Methods: Semi-structured interviews to seven faculty members, all of whom have an active role in teaching but who had not taken any DEM courses. The sampling was intentional and guided by theory. Based on Grounded theory, the data was analyzed using open, axial and selective coding. Results: Three categories emerged from the analysis. First, the characteristics of a "good teacher" and what it means to be a good teacher. Second, the current status of teaching. Third, the barriers to participate in courses of DEM. Non-attendance is multifactorial; teaching is seen as a natural skill that is difficult to be trained, teaching has a lower priority than other activities, and there are many barriers perceived for attendance. Conclusions: With these results we developed a model to explain the reasons why faculty choose not to participate in these courses. The lower value of teaching and the multiple roles that teachers have, are highlighted.

Medical education in India: Time to make some changes.

India is in need of well-trained doctors. We highlight and analyse some of the problems affecting medical education in India and their possible solutions. The medical education system can be reviewed under four heads: selection of students, medical training, evaluation, and the development and accreditation of faculty. In India, students enter medical colleges without receiving sufficient orientation about the profession. If students were given some exposure to various professions in the final years of school, it would help address this issue. Medical students are selected on the basis of pre-medical tests consisting of multiple-choice questions, the validity of which is being questioned increasingly. There is no coordination between the scheduling of lectures on various diseases and their management and the clinical exposure of the students. Active involvement in treatment is limited to the final year, called internship, which is hampered by preparation for postgraduate entrance examinations. Efforts should be made to provide hands-on experience at an earlier time in the course. A systematic and reliable programme for evaluation is a must. There is a need for a shift in the focus of evaluation, which should assess the application of knowledge rather than the ability to recall facts. The replacement of the traditional long-/short-case examinations with more valid and reliable instruments for the assessment of clinical skills should be considered. ‘Vision 2015’, a document developed by the Medical Council of India, contains many notable recommendations for the improvement of the current system. If these are implemented effectively, the impact of improvement in Indian medical education will be felt globally.

Evaluación de un módulo de docencia ambulatoria de enfermedades respiratorias en el currículo de pregrado de Medicina / Evaluation of a teaching ambulatory module of respiratory diseases in the undergraduate medical curriculum

Background: As the focus of healthcare provision shifts towards ambulatory care, increasing attention must now be given to develop opportunities for clinical teaching in this setting. Aim: To assess teacher and students' views about the strengths and weaknesses of real and simulated patient interactions for teaching undergraduate students clinical skills in the ambulatory setting. Material and Methods: Fourth-year medical students were exposed in a systematic way, during two weeks, to real and simulated patients in an outpatient clinic, who presented common respiratory problems, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, smoking and sleep apnea syndrome. After the clinical interview, students received feedback from the tutor and their peers. The module was assessed interviewing the teachers and evaluating the results qualitatively. Students evaluated the contents and quality of teaching at the end of the rotation. Results: Tutors identified the factors that facilitate ambulatory teaching. These depended on the module design, resources and patient care, of characteristics of students and their participation, leadership and interaction with professors. They also identified factors that hamper teaching activities such as availability of resources, student motivation and academic recognition. Most students evaluated favorably the interaction with real and simulated patients in the ambulatory setting. Conclusions: Teaching in the ambulatory setting was well evaluated by students and teachers. The use of qualitative methodology allowed contrasting the opinions of teachers and students.

Adaptación de las unidades docentes hospitalarias a la nueva normativa española / Adapting hospital teaching units in Spain to new guidelines

El Real Decreto 183/2008 sobre formación médica especializada en España, publicado en 2008, ha supuesto un cambio sustancial de esta formación.

[ investigation of factors influencing student evaluation of teacher performance: a comprehensive study in Semnan University of Medical Sciences]

Student evaluations provide teachers with important feedback from the consumer's pointof-view. Although substantial research has been conducted with regard to the factors influencing reliability and accuracy of student evaluation of teaching quality, but the results are controversial and need to further research. Thus, this comprehensive study was conducted to determine the role of different factors influencing student evaluations of teacher faculty at Semnan University of Medical Sciences students, Iran. This analytical-descriptive study was conducted with participation of all students at least at the levels of the second semester to up of their education program at Semnan University of Medical Sciences in the academic year of 2009. A questionnaire containing demographic data and some factor influencing on teacher evaluation including effective teaching skills [9 questions], faculty personal characteristics [15 questions], educational principles and laws [1 question], personal characteristics and attitudes of students toward lessons [10 questions], daily time and place of lecture presentation [4 items], and teacher evaluation process at the University [6 questions] was given to each student before the starting of lecture at the classroom. The questionnaires were collected, and the data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods appropriate. Results showed that from the viewpoints of students proficiency on the course [94%], goodtempered [93 percent], confidence [92.7%], expressive power [91 percent], organizing the contents and having interest to teaching [90%], personality [90 percent], and old or up-to date of teaching materials [83%] have high and higher influences on student evaluation of teacher quality. Most Students [63.3%] expressed that their personal issues have low up to very low influence on teacher evaluation. Additionally, a significant relation between the gender [P<0.001], native and non native status [P<0. 01] and study field of students [P<0. 01] with teacher evaluation score was found. Finally, no significant relation was observed between student rating with faculty evaluation [P>0. 05]. The results of this study showed that acdamemic capability [such as academic proficiency and providing new and updated scientific information on the course subject] is one of the most important factor influencing teacher evaluation outcomes. Also, it seems that not only teaching methods, but also teacher personality can increase student enthusiasm and motivation for learning that ultimately improve the quality of education

[Internal evaluation of public health department of Semnan University of Medical Sciences]

Internal evaluation is a fundamental determinant to quality development in teaching departments and faculties. The purpose of this study was an internal departmental evaluation in the public health department of Semnan university of medical sciences [SUMS]. This work was performed [during 2008-2009] in department of public health of SUMS utilizing an accreditation model. The assessment covered 9 areas, namely: educational missions and objectives, management and organization, educational programs, scientific board, students, educational resources, research activities, assessment and evaluation, and graduates. Questionnaires were developed by the scientific members of the department. After collecting the data, results were categorized according to Gourman scoring scale, from unsatisfied class to very strong class, with the range of 1-5 scores. The mean scores in the 9 evaluation areas were obtained and the rankings were as below: Educational programs area was in strong ranking; educational missions and objectives, scientific board, and assessment and evaluation areas were in good ranking; management and organization area was in more than satisfied ranking; students area was in satisfied ranking; educational resources and research activities areas were in borderline ranking; and finally, the department was ranked as unsatisfied in the graduates area. Results showed that by achieved mean of 3.19 in whole of the evaluation areas, the public health department has placed in "more than satisfied" class. Although the overall status is acceptable, there is a need to modify the weak points in the suboptimal areas to improve the educational quality in this department

Desarrollo y validación de un instrumento en Español para evaluar el desempeño de docentes clínicos a través de las percepciones de sus estudiantes / An instrument in Spanish to evaluate the performance of clinical teachers by students

Background: The modernization of clinical teaching has called for the creation of faculty development programs, and the design of suitable instruments to evaluate clinical teachers’ performance. Aim: To report the development and validation of an instrument in Spanish designed to measure the students’ perceptions of their clinical teachers’ performance and to provide them with feedback to improve their teaching practices. Material and Methods: In a process that included the active participation of authorities, professors in charge of courses and internships, clinical teachers, students and medical education experts, we developed a 30-item questionnaire called MEDUC30 to evaluate the performance of clinical teachers by their students. The internal validity was assessed by factor analysis of 5,214 evaluations of 265 teachers, gathered from 2004 to 2007. The reliability was measured with the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and the generalizability coefficient (g). Results: MEDUC30 had good content and construct validity. Its internal structure was compatible with four factors: patient-centered teaching, teaching skills, assessment skills and learning climate, and it proved to be consistent with the structure anticipated by the theory. The scores were highly reliable (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.97); five evaluations per teacher were sufficient to reach a reliability coefficient (g) of 0.8. Conclusions: MEDUC30 is a valid, reliable and useful instrument to evaluate the performance of clinical teachers. To our knowledge, this is the first instrument in Spanish for which solid validity and reliability evidences have been reported. We hope that MEDUC30 will be used to improve medical education in Spanish-speaking medical schools, providing teachers a specific feedback upon which to improve their pedagogical practice, and authorities with valuable information for the assessment of their faculty.

Formación en educación de los docentes clínicos de medicina / Faculty development for clinicaI teachers in medicine

Effective clinical teaching is an imperative of medical education. Clinical teachers and faculty development initiatives as well as Medical Schools, need to focus their efforts to pursue common outcomes: effective learning in students, future competent physicians and healthy patients. Excellence in quality of teaching needs scholars in education. To achieve this objective, institutions must recruit a core of medical faculty according to its mission, define the attributes and teaching competences, implement faculty development programs, and finally, support academic vitality. This article describes the three main issues of medical teaching: faculty, faculty development and its organization.

Aprendizaje basado en problemas multiprofesional: Estudio cualitativo desde la perspectiva de los tutores / Problem based learning from the perspective of tutors

Background: Problem based learning is a student centered learning technique that develops deductive, constructive and reasoning capacities among the students. Teachers must adapt to this paradigm of constructing rather than transmitting knowledge. Aim: To interpret the importance of tutors in problem based learning during a module of Health research and management given to medical, nursing, physical therapy, midwifery, technology and nutrition students. Material and methods: Eight teachers that participated in a module using problem based learning accepted to particípate in an in depth interview. The qualitative analysis of the textual information recorded, was performed using the ATLAS software. Results: We identiñed 662 meaning units, grouped in 29 descriptive categories, with eight emerging meta categories. The sequential and cross-generated qualitative analysis generated four domains: competence among students, competence of teachers, student-centered learning and evaluation process. Conclusions: Multiprofessional problem based learning contríbutes to the development of generic competences among future health professionals, such as multidisciplinary work, critical capacity and social skills. Teachers must shelter the students in the context of their problems and social situation.

Faculty development and medical education units in India: A survey.

Background. Faculty development in medical education is gaining momentum in India. While planning a National Conference on Medical Education (NCME 2007), we did a survey of principals and faculty of medical colleges to understand the status of faculty development programmes and medical education units in medical colleges in India. Methods. Questionnaires were sent to principals of medical colleges by surface mail and to faculty through a web-based programme to elicit information on various aspects of faculty development programmes and medical education units. The responses of both groups were analysed. Results. The number of medical education units has increased rapidly after regulations have been revised in 1997 by the Medical Council of India. The main activities of medical education units were to conduct workshops targeted at medical teachers. The frequently covered topics were teaching–learning, media and student assessment. Lectures dominated the methodology of imparting information. Evaluation was done mainly by feedback questionnaires and pre-test/post-test questionnaires. Projects and follow up were rarely used. The responses from both groups were strikingly similar. The major strengths of medical education units were perceived as availability of trained and motivated faculty, good infrastructure and supportive leadership. The shortcomings were lack of infrastructure, funding and full-time faculty, besides time constraints and resistance to change. The respondents suggested strengthening of infrastructure, appointment of full-time faculty and staff, incentives and recognition of contributions to faculty development, making participation a mandatory requirement, extending the scope of faculty development programmes to include research and networking at the national level. Conclusion. The study reveals the need for policy decisions that support functioning of medical education units in India besides active participation of the faculty.

El profesor docente y la ética institucional / The educational teacher and the institutional ethics

Organizations develop codes of ethics to give orientations to their members on how to recognize, understand and handle ethical dilemmas in their daily work. In year 2005 a group of faculty members of the Universidad de Chile Faculty of Medicine started an institutional ethics project, acknowledging that all institutional decisions have moral contents. The purpose of this project is to promote an ethical environment in the institution. The first step was to establish a diagnosis by means of the organization of focal groups that collected the perceptions of students, faculty members and non-academic personnel. With a diagnosis in hand, a preliminary document was prepared, the “Universidad de Chile Faculty of Medicine declaration of principles and values”. Members of all groups that participated in the diagnostic phase had the opportunity to discuss this preliminary document and check if their agreement with its contents. Given the relevance of the ethical aspects of the learning and teaching process for the positive modeling of students from all health-related professions, special emphasis is given to its discussion.