El Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Social, Facultad de Medicina de Uruguay. Reseña sobre su evolución histórica y su producción de especialistas en Salud Pública

Abstract

The Department of Preventive and Social Medicine of the Faculty of Medicine in Uruguay was created in 1877, being one of the three oldest departments. It has had three names: Hygiene and Bacteriology (1877), Hygiene and Preventive Medicine (1922), and Preventive and Social Medicine (1987). It had 15 directors and two different locations in its 122 years. In 1955 begun the specialty in Public Health as Hygiene, then to Public Health (1961), and later to Epidemiology, Administration of Health Services and Occupational Health (1987). Between 19-55 and 1994,598 persons applied, 112 of them graduated (81.3% desertion); 88 revalidation titles were given to 80 persons. No differences were found between sexes. The total average course length was 3.5 years. Since the new plan in 1987 (when the course length change from 2 to 3 years) the average was 4.2 years. The author indicates that the Universidad de la Republica has not satisfied the human resources country needs in this area. He urges the creation of a National Institute of Public Health.