The vision of Dr Ana Carolina Sepúlveda Vildósola.
Highlights:
- Dr. Ana Carolina Sepúlveda Vildósola, the first female director of the Faculty of Medicine at UNAM, aims to educate well-rounded, adaptable professionals, not just doctors.
- She emphasizes the importance of graduates being experts and leaders in various fields, including administration and technology, and suggests creating diverse graduate profiles to allow students to gain experience in areas like bioethics and public health.
- Dr. Sepúlveda Vildósola is addressing challenges in medical education such as limited hospital spaces for practical training by proposing the use of digital tools and reevaluating educational approaches to prioritize practical competence.
- She advocates for a learning environment that reduces depression and anxiety among students and residents by preventing violence, and emphasizing emotional and recreational well-being.
- Dr. Sepúlveda Vildósola envisions significant changes in medical education, including a review of the social service system and adopting communities to focus training on primary healthcare, thereby strengthening the commitment of medical education to society and shaping future health professionals.
For Dr. Ana Carolina Sepúlveda Vildósola, it’s more than just training doctors. “We need to educate well-rounded individuals. Create flexible professionals who can adapt to changes.” This year, she became the first female director of the Faculty of Medicine at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
We need to educate well-rounded individuals. Create flexible professionals who can adapt to changes.
Ana Carolina Sepúlveda Vildósola
In her office, she warmly welcomed us. She invited us to sit on a couch adorned with tenango cushions, where she shared her perspective and vision for medical education.
It would be ideal for students also to have the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree
Ana Carolina Sepúlveda Vildósola
Dr. Sepúlveda envisions graduates as medical experts and leaders in areas such as administration and technology. She is working on creating different graduate profiles for students, allowing them to gain experience in diverse areas like bioethics or public health. “It would be ideal for students also to have the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree,” she explains. “We have a growing student enrollment,” along with many medical schools. This requires tighter control over practical training in hospitals and monitoring the process to maintain the quality of education. Maintaining the tutorial model has become increasingly difficult due to limited hospital spaces. To address this, Dr. Sepúlveda Vildósola proposes adopting digital tools for more widespread medical education. She explains that the rise of remote learning and simulation demands reevaluating educational approaches and prioritizing practical competence.
We have a growing student enrollment.
Ana Carolina Sepúlveda Vildósola
“Another challenge is the traditionally vertical structure,” which, combined with the physical exhaustion caused by hospital shifts, promotes high rates of depression and anxiety among students and residents. “We normalize violence,” states Dr. Sepúlveda, who advocates for promoting environments that emphasize learning, prioritizing the academic role of the student over the labor role and ensuring that institutions prioritize the emotional and recreational well-being. She also highlights the importance of providing support and preventing secondary trauma for victims of violence. In this regard, she conducted a survey on violence experiences among residents at a pediatric hospital. Initially, “32% reported having suffered some form of violence, but when directed questions were asked, that figure rose to 82.4%.“
We normalize violence.
Ana Carolina Sepúlveda Vildósola
Dr. Sepúlveda Vildósola believes there will be many significant changes in medical education over the next ten years. A novel suggestion she is exploring is a complete review of the social service system in the medical degree program and proposes that universities adopt communities to shape their training toward primary healthcare. This approach brings value to the student and strengthens the commitment of medical education to society.
Undoubtedly, UNAM is more than an academic institution; it is also an influential player in shaping the future of Mexico’s health. Dr. Ana Carolina Sepúlveda Vildósola’s approach to educating well-rounded individuals and leaders in various fields, in addition to expert doctors, opens new possibilities for the future of medical education. By prioritizing adaptability, quality, and the emotional well-being of students, she is laying the groundwork for a generation of more skilled health professionals committed to their community.
