Medical Specialty Program in General Surgery

Presentation

The Medical Specialty Program in General Surgery of Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) is part of the Medical Specialty Programs endorsed by Facultad de Medicina y Nutrición, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, and Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud.

The program aims to train specialists with clinical, surgical, academic, and humanistic competencies for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases requiring surgical care through a competency-based educational model that integrates service-based learning, research, and medical education.

The specialty is offered in an in-person, hospital-based, full-time format, in accordance with NOM-001-SSA-2023 and the guidelines of the Programa Único de Especialidades Médicas (PUEM).

Mission

To train specialists in General Surgery with a vocation for service, capable of preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases that require surgical care, while also engaging in research and educational activities with ethics and a strong humanistic approach.

Vision

By 2035, the General Surgery Specialty Program will be recognized as a leading program in northwestern México, supported by a consolidated academic faculty and effective coordination with receiving healthcare institutions. It will be distinguished by the quality of its training and by graduates capable of addressing health problems through a comprehensive, ethical, and humanistic approach.

General Objective

To train specialists in General Surgery who are capable of integrating professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes in their field through the development of surgical abilities and technical skills supported by the instruments and technologies of the discipline, articulating clinical care with research and educational activities.

Specific Objectives

• Provide the theoretical and practical foundations, spaces, and settings necessary for the development of surgical competencies required for comprehensive medical care.


• Guide student training toward the prevention, resolution, and rehabilitation of the main health problems affecting surgical patients.


• Promote the acquisition of knowledge and the development of skills, abilities, and attitudes necessary to perform competently in research and teaching.


• Foster the ethical and humanitarian attitude and social commitment expected of specialists in General Surgery.

Graduate Profile

Graduates of the General Surgery Specialty Program are healthcare professionals who practice in accordance with state, national, and international legal and regulatory frameworks, with ethics, responsibility, respect for cultural diversity, and the ability to collaborate in interdisciplinary teams.

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be competent to:

• Comprehensively evaluate surgical patients through clinical assessment and preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management, ensuring patient safety.


• Formulate diagnoses, prognoses, and treatment plans for the most common problems in general surgery and related surgical areas.


• Analyze and resolve pathologies and complications within the scope of General Surgery through conventional, endoscopic, and minimally invasive surgical procedures.


• Develop research and medical education projects, supporting the training of human resources and the creation of collaborative networks.

Program Structure

The General Surgery Specialty Program has a duration of four years and is offered in an in-person, hospital-based, full-time format.

The program is structured around three core medical functions:

Clinical Care

Develops clinical, technical, ethical, and communication competencies through supervised surgical practice.

Research

Promotes critical thinking, clinical research, and evidence-based academic production.

Education

Supports the training of residents as reflective professionals and health educators.

These functions are developed transversally and progressively throughout the four years of training.

Curriculum

Required Courses

• Clinical Practice in General Surgery I
• Clinical Care Seminar in General Surgery I
• Research Seminar in General Surgery I
• Medical Education Seminar in General Surgery I


• Clinical Practice in General Surgery II
• Clinical Care Seminar in General Surgery II
• Research Seminar in General Surgery II
• Medical Education Seminar in General Surgery II


• Clinical Practice in General Surgery III
• Clinical Care Seminar in General Surgery III
• Research Seminar in General Surgery III
• Medical Education Seminar in General Surgery III


• Clinical Practice in General Surgery IV
• Clinical Care Seminar in General Surgery IV
• Research Seminar in General Surgery IV
• Medical Education Seminar in General Surgery IV

Elective Courses

• Safe Surgery (Quality and Safety Process in Surgery)
• Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition
• Geriatric Surgery
• Bariatric Surgery
• Critical Analysis of Scientific Articles
• Applied Biostatistics in Clinical Research
• Scientific Writing Workshop
• Advanced Respiratory Support in Adults.

Research Areas

General Surgery and Surgical Subspecialties Applied to Medical Research

This area focuses on the study of surgical processes and pathologies treated in General Surgery and surgical subspecialty services through the generation and application of knowledge that contributes to improving medical care, patient safety, and the resolution of the most common health problems in the population.

Admission Requirements

• Degree and professional license as a Médico Cirujano, or proof that the corresponding process is underway.


• Birth certificate.


• CURP and RFC.


• Certificate of selection through ENARM.


• Institutional forms and acceptance letter from the corresponding teaching hospital.


• Comply with the requirements established by UABC and the participating healthcare institutions.

Continuation Requirements

• Pass all courses and the annual promotion examination.


• Maintain a minimum weighted grade point average of 80.


• Complete the assigned clinical rotations and academic activities.


• Submit the annual clinical portfolio on time.


• Comply with the thesis timeline.


• Maintain ethical and professional conduct.

Graduation Requirements

• Successfully complete the four years of the program and all required credits (924 required credits and 32 elective credits, for a total of 956 credits).


• Pass all courses.


• Complete all clinical and academic learning activities.


• Prepare, present, and defend the thesis.


• Pass the corresponding certification examination.


• Have no outstanding administrative debts or disciplinary sanctions.


• Comply with the requirements established by UABC and the participating healthcare institutions.