Abstract

Introduction: For at least a decade, medical faculties in various Latin American universities have undergone curricular reforms that involve the inclusion of topics and competencies related to the humanities and social sciences in the study plans of future healthcare professionals. The aim of this article is to analyze the integration of humanistic approaches and content in the declared curriculum of the medical program at the University of Chile for the development of competencies aimed at incorporating these dimensions. Methods: A documentary review of course programs between 2016 and 2022 was conducted for the medical program, identifying competencies related to humanistic education, which were categorized using the Atlas.ti program and analyzed within the internal structure of the programs. Results: Out of 84 course programs, 38 were found to declare contributions to 5 or more sub-competencies related to humanistic education within the educational plan. The inclusion of this dimension is evident in the educational goals, learning outcomes, achievement indicators, methodological strategy, and evaluation strategies, with a predominance in subjects within the ethical-social domain. Conclusion: Within the educational plan of the medical program at the University of Chile, various elements are evident that directly contribute to what the literature describes as the humanistic dimension of medical education. However, there are discrepancies in the incorporation of humanistic competencies at various levels of the programs.