MEDICAL SPANISH MINI-IMMERSION TRIPS

The Community Medicine Program at Universidad Xochicalco stands out as a leader in the field of medical-clinical education, always attuned to the authentic health issues local to the nation's Northwest region while considering the appropriate educational methodology for our future doctors and healthcare professionals. Through the Community Medicine Program, Xochicalco University fulfills its social responsibility in the health sector, particularly in general medicine through basic care and health prevention campaigns conducted by students in the region's rural communities. These community visits not only provide essential healthcare but also serve as opportunities to generate research projects aimed at addressing specific situations and scenarios unique to each locality.

Xochicalco's Medical School curriculum places a strong emphasis on primary care. This approach aligns with the current health needs of the population and allows us to live out our commitment to the needs of our community and region. Our educational program contributes to the National Health Program (Programa Nacional de Salud) in addressing the needs of the population. We prioritize health promotion and disease prevention, aiming to ensure that the community has access to comprehensive health services. Our curricular model is characterized not only by instilling in students a broad awareness of our country's health landscape but also by sensitizing them to the diverse needs and care requirements of populations at the fringes. It emphasizes acquiring the clinical skills necessary for interaction and immersion in these communities. The strategies employed are based on the Community Medicine Program, taken from the first to the fourth semester.

The Community Medicine Program includes a series of initial activities, such as workshops for handling documents relevant to this sensibilization. These materials are provided by the medical school and by the Institute of Public Health Services of the State of Baja California (Isesalud) and linked to health programs. Additional training workshops focusing on education in the field are held, ensuring that students are well-prepared and equipped for their involvement in community health initiatives.

From the early stages of the program, following the sensibilization and documentation handling sessions, students visit these marginalized communities (chosen collaboratively with the local public health departments) in order to understand and assess the local reality. This involvement extends to the implementation of preventive and health promotion programs derived from the assessment. The monitoring and outcomes of these initiatives are jointly evaluated by the medical school and the local health authorities.

Furthermore, our community program enables all first to fourth semester students to actively participate in and contribute to the health sector. They commit to weekly attendance over the four semesters in their designated community to ensure the implementation of the various programs established by the Health Sector in each family within the community. Currently, the Community Medicine Program fulfills its purpose of training general practitioners fully sensitized and committed to comprehensively tackling the community's health issues. This is achieved through their early initiation into the community, which fosters motivation, a spirit of service, and the development of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values in alignment with our philosophy. These attributes have been nationally validated by accrediting bodies such as the Mexican Association of Faculties and Schools of Medicine (AMFEM), the Mexican Council for the Accreditation of Medical Education (Comaem), and the Federation of Mexican Private Higher Education Institutions A.C. (FIMPES), highlighting the quality of our program. Universidad Xochicalco develops and implements Community Development and Research Projects in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Development, with the primary goal of delivering high-quality programs that positively impact the level of health and well-being within the local population.