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Year
Abstract
Background: human beings are diverse, and a population with health problems even more so. Patients are diverse and the medical approach to them must also be diverse. Patients are not cloned and each human being is unique. Therefore, the way the disease manifests will be different in each one. Current medicine and health systems do not recognize diversity sufficiently and that makes medical services deficient and users are always unhappy.
Objectives:
- To train medical students in diversity, understanding the point of view of the health user and patients.
- To achieve interaction between medical students and other faculties, to know and understand the approach of other disciplines on health problems and the point of view of patients.
- To learn about inclusion, illness and disability, so that this knowledge is the basis of their training as health personnel.
- To learn that health and disease problems require a comprehensive approach, and that doctors must take into account that each individual is different.
Methods: from the Instituto de Genética Humana, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Javeriana, together with an Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) representative of patients and the disabled community (Fundación Derecho a la Desventaja), we have developed a semester course called 'Inclusion, Medicine and Disability'. Medical students learn about diversity, through interactive classes-workshops, where patients with different diseases and conditions are mixed with caregivers and students from other professions. There are 18 to 20 sessions per semester. Each class begins with a short 30-minute master's presentation, presented by an expert teacher on a specific topic. Then students take an hour and a half to work in groups (different faculties), discussions with patients or caregivers to analyze topics, readings and discussions, and the class ends with an exhibition of all the groups. Topics include: disease, inclusion, disability, diversity, universal design, patient rights, paradigms, disability models, awareness, disability legislation, caregiver psychology, caregiver care, communication skills, vulnerability, disability and gender, diversity and inclusion, various capacities, etc. Students expose general health problems, analyze the current approach, discuss needs and comprehensive-personalized approach to the health condition of each individual. In the end, they propose methods or programs that solve the health problems.
Results: greater training in diversity and better humanistic quality of the graduates of our school of medicine. Implementation of similar course at other universities. A model that can be reproduced in any medical school in the world.
Conclusions: the class 'Inclusion, Medicine and Disability', allows medical students a chance to interact directly in the classroom, with patients, caregivers and health service representatives, to discuss the approach required by health problems. We hope to train professionals capable of understanding the patient and of putting themselves in their place.
Objectives:
- To train medical students in diversity, understanding the point of view of the health user and patients.
- To achieve interaction between medical students and other faculties, to know and understand the approach of other disciplines on health problems and the point of view of patients.
- To learn about inclusion, illness and disability, so that this knowledge is the basis of their training as health personnel.
- To learn that health and disease problems require a comprehensive approach, and that doctors must take into account that each individual is different.
Methods: from the Instituto de Genética Humana, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Javeriana, together with an Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) representative of patients and the disabled community (Fundación Derecho a la Desventaja), we have developed a semester course called 'Inclusion, Medicine and Disability'. Medical students learn about diversity, through interactive classes-workshops, where patients with different diseases and conditions are mixed with caregivers and students from other professions. There are 18 to 20 sessions per semester. Each class begins with a short 30-minute master's presentation, presented by an expert teacher on a specific topic. Then students take an hour and a half to work in groups (different faculties), discussions with patients or caregivers to analyze topics, readings and discussions, and the class ends with an exhibition of all the groups. Topics include: disease, inclusion, disability, diversity, universal design, patient rights, paradigms, disability models, awareness, disability legislation, caregiver psychology, caregiver care, communication skills, vulnerability, disability and gender, diversity and inclusion, various capacities, etc. Students expose general health problems, analyze the current approach, discuss needs and comprehensive-personalized approach to the health condition of each individual. In the end, they propose methods or programs that solve the health problems.
Results: greater training in diversity and better humanistic quality of the graduates of our school of medicine. Implementation of similar course at other universities. A model that can be reproduced in any medical school in the world.
Conclusions: the class 'Inclusion, Medicine and Disability', allows medical students a chance to interact directly in the classroom, with patients, caregivers and health service representatives, to discuss the approach required by health problems. We hope to train professionals capable of understanding the patient and of putting themselves in their place.
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