Evaluation and comparison of the dermatology program for medical students at the University of Chile with other national and foreign universities

BACKGROUND: The National Examination of Knowledge in Medicine establishes the knowledge profile (PdC) a physician must possess to practice public medicine in Chile. However, no study has evaluated the perception of dermatology training regarding the acquisition of the minimum competencies required. This study described and compared the impressions of the dermatology training received by the University of Chile (UCh) graduates with graduates from other national and international faculties of medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study, based on a single survey model, applied via E-mail to registered physicians in an online database, with emphasis on UCh medicine graduates, from the generations 2012 to 2016. The data were collected anonymously, tabulated, and analyzed in MINITAB. RESULTS: From 908 UCh graduates, 141 surveys were answered (15.5%). Nine of 10 physicians considered “important” to obtain knowledge in dermatology. About 68.8% found the information they received was adequate. When comparing UCh graduates with other Chilean universities, UCh graduates had a slightly better impression of their training. When comparing Chilean versus foreign graduates, the latter presented a better perception of their preparation in cutaneous pathology. CONCLUSION: UCh graduates were satisfied with their dermatological training at the undergraduate level and felt better prepared than colleagues from other Chilean universities when facing cutaneous pathologies.