Análisis preliminar de la enseñanza de ética en la formación de médicos y médicas veterinarias en Chile.
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| Title: | Análisis preliminar de la enseñanza de ética en la formación de médicos y médicas veterinarias en Chile. |
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| Alternate Title: | Preliminary analysis of ethics teaching in veterinary medicine training in Chile. |
| Authors: | Zapata S., Beatriz1 beatriz.zapata@academia.cl, Maluenda, Valentina2, Chavez, Gonzalo2 |
| Source: | Veterinaria México OA. 2026 Special Issue, Vol. 13, p47-49. 3p. |
| Abstract (English): | Ethics education in veterinary medicine constitutes a fundamental training framework, as it guides decision-making in contexts of tension between animal welfare, the capabilities and values of caregivers, public health, and environmental considerations. At the professional level, it underpins clinical judgment, communication with caregivers and communities, and social trust in the profession. According to the WHO (2019), it is part of the internationally required "day one competencies," including legislation and ethics, animal welfare, and ethical leadership. Likewise, early and cross-disciplinary ethics training allows for the recognition and management of moral conflicts that, if left unaddressed, are associated with moral distress and poorer indicators of professional well-being. In Latin America, the inclusion of content on animal welfare and ethics in curricula has increased over the last two decades, although with marked heterogeneity between countries and institutions in terms of compulsory nature, course load, and depth (Mota et al., 2018). In Chile, like what has been observed in the region, the teaching of ethics in veterinary training has been progressively strengthened. However, to date, no studies have characterized how this subject has been implemented. Materials and Methods For this study, the curricula of the country’s veterinary medicine schools were reviewed, identifying whether they included ethics courses, the semester in which they were taught, and whether they were categorized as core, disciplinary, or general education. Result and discussion The results show that of the 16 Chilean universities that offer veterinary medicine, 10 (63 %) offer an ethics course. These subjects are designated as ethics, professional ethics, bioethics, or veterinary ethics, and in some cases are integrated with animal welfare or veterinary legislation. The distribution varies: courses are taught between the second and tenth semesters, although only three universities offer them in the basic cycle (30 %). Furthermore, 20 % of the institutions include ethics as part of their general education. Conclusion This study shows progress in the incorporation of ethics into Chilean veterinary training but also reveals a notable disparity in its implementation. The fact that the course is in advanced semesters limits the possibility of students integrating an ethical perspective into the rest of their professional training early on; however, it enriches the discussions as they are familiar with the ethical dilemmas they will face in their professional lives. The lack of standardization reflects an outstanding challenge: ensuring that ethics is conceived not only as an isolated course, but as a cross-cutting axis that underpins clinical, productive, public health, and research training. Compared to other regions, such as Europe or North America, Latin America and Chile still require coordinated efforts between universities, professional associations, and international organizations. The absence of a common framework can perpetuate educational inequalities that impact professional practice and the social perception of veterinary medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Abstract (Spanish): | La enseñanza de la ética en medicina veterinaria constituye un eje formativo fundamental, ya que orienta la toma de decisiones en contextos de tensión entre el bienestar animal, las capacidades y valores de las personas cuidadoras, la salud pública y las consideraciones ambientales. A nivel profesional, sustenta el juicio clínico, la comunicación con tutores y comunidades, y la confianza social en la profesión. De acuerdo con la OMSA (2019), forma parte de las "competencias de día uno" exigidas internacionalmente, incluyendo la legislación y ética, el bienestar animal y el liderazgo ético. Asimismo, la formación ética temprana y transversal permite reconocer y gestionar conflictos morales que, de no abordarse, se asocian con malestar moral y peores indicadores de bienestar profesional. En América Latina, durante las últimas dos décadas se ha incrementado la inclusión de contenidos sobre bienestar animal y ética en los planes de estudio, aunque con una marcada heterogeneidad entre países e instituciones en cuanto a obligatoriedad, carga horaria y profundidad (Mota et al., 2018). En Chile, de manera similar a lo observado en la región, se ha ido fortaleciendo progresivamente la enseñanza de la ética en la formación veterinaria. Sin embargo, hasta la fecha no existían estudios que caracterizaran cómo se ha implementado esta materia. Materiales y métodos Para este trabajo se revisaron las mallas curriculares de las facultades de medicina veterinaria del país, identificando si incluían asignaturas de ética, el semestre en que se dictaban y si estaban categorizadas como básicas, disciplinares o de formación general. Resultados y discusión Los resultados muestran que de las 16 universidades chilenas que imparten la carrera de medicina veterinaria, 10 (63 %) cuentan con un curso de ética. Estas asignaturas se designan como ética, ética profesional, bioética o ética veterinaria, y en algunos casos se integran con bienestar animal o legislación veterinaria. La distribución es variable: los cursos se dictan entre el segundo y el décimo semestre, aunque solo tres universidades los imparten en el ciclo básico (30 %). Además, un 20 % de las instituciones incluyen la ética como parte de la formación general. Conclusiones Este estudio muestra avances en la incorporación de la ética en la formación veterinaria chilena, pero también muestran una notable disparidad en su implementación. La ubicación de la asignatura en semestres avanzados limita la posibilidad de que los estudiantes integren tempranamente una mirada ética en el resto de su formación profesional, no obstante, enriquece las discusiones ya que están familiarizados con los dilemas éticos a los que se enfrentarán en la vida profesional. La falta de estandarización refleja un desafío pendiente: lograr que la ética se conciba no solo como un curso aislado, sino como un eje transversal que acompañe la formación clínica, productiva, de salud pública y de investigación. En comparación con otras regiones, como Europa o Norteamérica, América Latina y Chile aún requieren esfuerzos coordinados entre universidades, colegios profesionales y organismos internacionales. La ausencia de un marco común puede perpetuar desigualdades formativas que impactan la práctica profesional y la percepción social de la medicina veterinaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | MedicLatina |
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| Abstract: | Ethics education in veterinary medicine constitutes a fundamental training framework, as it guides decision-making in contexts of tension between animal welfare, the capabilities and values of caregivers, public health, and environmental considerations. At the professional level, it underpins clinical judgment, communication with caregivers and communities, and social trust in the profession. According to the WHO (2019), it is part of the internationally required "day one competencies," including legislation and ethics, animal welfare, and ethical leadership. Likewise, early and cross-disciplinary ethics training allows for the recognition and management of moral conflicts that, if left unaddressed, are associated with moral distress and poorer indicators of professional well-being. In Latin America, the inclusion of content on animal welfare and ethics in curricula has increased over the last two decades, although with marked heterogeneity between countries and institutions in terms of compulsory nature, course load, and depth (Mota et al., 2018). In Chile, like what has been observed in the region, the teaching of ethics in veterinary training has been progressively strengthened. However, to date, no studies have characterized how this subject has been implemented. Materials and Methods For this study, the curricula of the country’s veterinary medicine schools were reviewed, identifying whether they included ethics courses, the semester in which they were taught, and whether they were categorized as core, disciplinary, or general education. Result and discussion The results show that of the 16 Chilean universities that offer veterinary medicine, 10 (63 %) offer an ethics course. These subjects are designated as ethics, professional ethics, bioethics, or veterinary ethics, and in some cases are integrated with animal welfare or veterinary legislation. The distribution varies: courses are taught between the second and tenth semesters, although only three universities offer them in the basic cycle (30 %). Furthermore, 20 % of the institutions include ethics as part of their general education. Conclusion This study shows progress in the incorporation of ethics into Chilean veterinary training but also reveals a notable disparity in its implementation. The fact that the course is in advanced semesters limits the possibility of students integrating an ethical perspective into the rest of their professional training early on; however, it enriches the discussions as they are familiar with the ethical dilemmas they will face in their professional lives. The lack of standardization reflects an outstanding challenge: ensuring that ethics is conceived not only as an isolated course, but as a cross-cutting axis that underpins clinical, productive, public health, and research training. Compared to other regions, such as Europe or North America, Latin America and Chile still require coordinated efforts between universities, professional associations, and international organizations. The absence of a common framework can perpetuate educational inequalities that impact professional practice and the social perception of veterinary medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 24486760 |
| DOI: | 10.22201/fmvz.24486760e.2025.1648 |
