UNAM: the importance of academic support for Allergy Clinic Immunology specialty

Abstract

At the end of the 18th Century, the history of immunology began in Mexico, with Francisco Xavier Balmis, who initiated the process of vaccination against smallpox. By doing this, he established the bases for research and clinical practice in this field of medicine. Among the pioneers of immunology in Mexico stand out Eduardo Licega, Maximiliano Ruiz Castañeda and Mario Salazar Mallén. This last one founded the first allergy laboratory located in the Hospital General de Mexico, becoming the first one of its nature in the entire nation as well as being recognized by Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) as the first course of allergy. The Unique Plan of Medical Specializations (PUEM it’s the acronym in Spanish) is a curricular plan organized in a functional conceptual construction, destined to conduct medical educational actions and designed by Faculty of Medicine UNAM, health institutes and the Mexican counsels of specialists; having as the main purpose that medical residents acquire knowledge, ability, skills, and ethical values to practice medicine with quality and efficiency. The specialty of Allergy and Clinic Immunology is part of PUEM since 1994 for adult patients and since 1998 in pediatrics. At the present it’s being held in 8 different institutions of health conformed by six courses for adult patients and two for pediatric ones. The UNAM evaluates the quality of the specialty courses through diverse processes, all coordinated by the Postgraduate Department from the Faculty of Medicine, through the coordination of academic subcommittees who’s also helped by the members of the Academic Subcommittees of Allergy and Clinic Immunology with the objective of guaranteeing quality in the formation of human resources.