Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
Educación de postgrado en pediatría en Chile: desafíos para la calidad formativa en un sistema en expansión. |
| Alternate Title: |
Postgraduate pediatric education in Chile: challenges for training quality in an expanding system. |
| Authors: |
Díaz, Franco1,2,3 francodiazr@gmail.com, Riderelli, Jocelyn1,2 |
| Source: |
Andes Pediatrica. may/jun2026, Vol. 97 Issue 3, p376-386. 11p. |
| Subjects: |
Graduate medical education, Educational quality, Chileans, Outcome-based education, Certification, Course organization (Education), Medical personnel training, Postdoctoral programs |
| Geographic Terms: |
Chile |
| Abstract (English): |
The training of pediatric specialists is essential to ensuring safe, comprehensive, and equitable health care for children and adolescents. In Chile, postgraduate education in pediatrics has expanded steadily over recent decades, as evidenced by the growing number of university programs and the increasing number of physicians in training. While this expansion has strengthened the pediatric health workforce, it has not always been accompanied by equivalent, systematic mechanisms to ensure the quality of training. The objective of this manuscript was to critically examine postgraduate education in pediatrics in Chile, focusing on the training capacity of residency programs, curricular organization, the role of clinical training sites and tutors, and mechanisms for graduate certification and quality assurance. The shortage of specialists, territorial distribution, and demographic context are included as complementary analytical elements, as they influence the design, functioning, and outcomes of the training system, rather than as central objects of analysis. From an educational perspective, we explore the tensions arising from the expansion of training places in settings where teaching capacity on clinical campuses and the availability of teaching staff have not always increased in proportion. We also address the challenges related to the transition toward competency-based education, the influence of information technologies and artificial intelligence on clinical learning, and the risk of reductionist approaches that may favor procedural efficiency over reflective clinical reasoning. Based on comparative international experience, the analysis concludes that there are no universally applicable models, but rather quality principles that must be adapted to local contexts. Two main approaches are identified: centralized systems, characteristic of continental Europe, with structured national curricula and progressive assessment; and Anglo-Saxon models based on independent program accreditation and standardized final certification. Both models offer relevant lessons for the Chilean context. Strengthening postgraduate education in pediatrics in Chile requires greater alignment between professional roles, curricular design, program accreditation, and graduate certification. Ensuring excellence in pediatric training is not only an academic challenge but an ethical and public health responsibility fundamental to safeguarding the right to health for children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Abstract (Spanish): |
La formación de especialistas en pediatría constituye un componente esencial para garantizar una atención de salud segura, integral y equitativa a niños, niñas y adolescentes. En Chile, la educación de postgrado en pediatría ha experimentado un crecimiento sostenido durante las últimas décadas, lo que se ha reflejado en el aumento del número de programas universitarios y de médicos en formación. Este proceso ha respondido a la necesidad de fortalecer el recurso humano en salud infantil; sin embargo, dicha expansión cuantitativa no siempre ha estado acompañada de mecanismos equivalentes y sistemáticos de aseguramiento de la calidad. El objetivo de este manuscrito es analizar críticamente la educación de postgrado en pediatría en Chile, con énfasis en la capacidad formadora de los programas, la organización curricular, el rol de los campos clínicos y de los tutores, y los mecanismos de certificación y de aseguramiento de la calidad del egresado. La brecha de especialistas, la distribución territorial y el contexto demográfico se incorporan como elementos analíticos complementarios, en la medida en que influyen en el diseño, el funcionamiento y los resultados del sistema formador, sin constituir el foco central del análisis. Desde una perspectiva educativa, se examinan las tensiones derivadas de la expansión de cupos formativos en escenarios donde la capacidad docente de los campos clínicos y la disponibilidad de tutores no siempre se han desarrollado de manera proporcional. Asimismo, se analizan los desafíos asociados a la transición hacia modelos de formación basados en competencias, el impacto de las tecnologías de la información y de la inteligencia artificial en el aprendizaje clínico, y el riesgo de implementaciones reduccionistas que privilegien las conductas automáticas por sobre el razonamiento clínico reflexivo. A partir de la experiencia internacional comparada, exponemos que no existen modelos universales directamente transferibles, sino principios de calidad que deben adaptarse a los contextos locales. Se identifican dos enfoques predominantes: modelos centralizados, característicos de Europa continental, con currículos nacionales estructurados y evaluación progresiva; y modelos anglosajones basados en la acreditación independiente y la certificación final estandarizada. Ambos ofrecen lecciones relevantes para el contexto chileno. Fortalecer la educación de postgrado en pediatría en Chile requiere avanzar hacia una mayor coherencia entre el rol profesional, el currículo, la acreditación de programas y la certificación del egresado. Asegurar una formación pediátrica de excelencia no constituye únicamente un desafío académico, sino una responsabilidad ética y de salud pública fundamental para garantizar el derecho a la salud de la infancia y adolescencia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|
Copyright of Andes Pediatrica is the property of Revista Chilena de Pediatria and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| Database: |
MedicLatina |
