Abstract

For more than a century the training of medical professionals has been organized according to the Flexnerian model, which comprises three cycles: basic, clinical and clerkship. On the other hand, the accelerated development of biomedical sciences modified the competences of the first cycle. Additionally, new skills required for medical practice, such as teamwork and innovation as a tool to solve health problems, challenged in recent years the classic paradigm of medical education. Therefore, the medical schools have developed multiple strategies to deal with it, such as curricular integration using competency-based education models, incorporating basic and clinical sciences in parallel during the curriculum, ensuring a relevant and applicable scientific knowledge throughout the training process. Although in Chile the Flexner prototype is still followed, the basic sciences are taught as single or integrated courses or using a systems approach. In this article we report a diagnosis about the local integration of fundamental sciences in medical training. We also compare our schools with those of Canada, Europe and Latin America. Recommendations aimed at modernizing medical school curricula are made.