The teaching of medicine in Cuba has an experience of more than two centuries. Renowned national and foreign professionals have been trained in the universities of Medical Sciences of the Greater Antilles. 

The curriculum designed for undergraduate and postgraduate courses, where the student is linked to patient care from the very first moment, is equipped with the most advanced knowledge of medical care and is based on the rigor of a learning process based on the clinical method. 

Dr. Juana María Larrea Salazar, head of the academic studies modality at Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos Cubanos, S. A., explains that “one of the advantages we have is to combine study and work, in addition to the benefits of the climate and social security.

“More than 80 percent of the postgraduate programs in Cuba are on-the-job education, which means that from their first year, students are dealing directly with patients”.

This study modality has more than 50 medical specialties in the country; among them, Dermatology, Imaging, Aesthetic Surgery, Anesthesiology and Resuscitation, Cardiovascular Surgery and Caumatology. It also offers the possibility of pursuing doctorates, which are developed depending on the research topic, and more than 40 master's degrees, all within the reach of physicians and health professionals in general. 

Dr. Larrea Salazar certifies that in addition to the training modalities, in Cuba it is possible to access other improvement activities that “also contribute to the improvement of performance”. Among them, the most demanded are training in minimally invasive surgery, courses in infectious diseases, dengue, tropical diseases and Primary Health Care, which are part of the more than 300 courses with a broad profile, in almost all specialties, and diploma courses. 

“Even so, if there is a person who does not find in these courses the objectives he or she needs to meet, a 'tailor-made suit' is made for him or her. To achieve this, to what is already previously designed for the entire teaching system, we add the aspects that the student needs to possess so that, once graduated, he/she can homologate the degree in his/her country and access the labor market.” 

Training is another way of postgraduate improvement. In the opinion of Dr. Juana María Larrea, this provides “training and development of various skills. Surgical specialties, for example, require a group of skills that the physician sometimes wants to perfect and this is the way to obtain greater precision”.

The postgraduate programs managed by Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos Cubanos, S.A. are aimed at professionals from any corner of the planet. In general, the specialist stresses, “students who did their undergraduate studies on the island and wish to continue their studies here participate. 

“But for those who have not been here before, the way to access these programs is also simple. We have a call for applications that circulates around the world, through the medical brigades abroad (they are in 68 countries), our embassies abroad and the institution's website. It is a public document that informs and gives details of the courses we offer. It even makes clear a group of disabling diseases for the practice of medicine”. 

Those interested in accessing any of the postgraduate courses must fill out a form with their personal data and send it to the e-mail: docencia@smcsalud.cu. Once the paperwork is done and with the letter of acceptance issued by Cuba, the person must legalize their documents (including professional degree, transcript, criminal record, photos and passport) to be able to travel and present themselves to the university where they applied, depending on the specialty they are going to study. 

“It is important to clarify that we only guarantee tuition (classes, scientific activity, having a tutor...), although we offer accommodation in the university campuses and food, this is not compulsory”, emphasizes Dr. Juana María Larrea.

So far, the main sending countries of professionals interested in pursuing postgraduate studies in Cuba are those of the Latin American and Caribbean region, with whom there is a historical link, and because of the stimulus represented by the prestige enjoyed by Cuban medicine. 

By: Yanel Blanco Miranda and Beatriz Vaillant Rodríguez 
Taken from:  Destino Salud Magazine