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Medical Specialty in Anesthesiology

Why study a Specialty in Anesthesiology?

Universidad Icesi, and in particular its medicine program, have created this specialty because we are conscious of the need, within our region, for specialists in Anesthesiology with a humane, academic and ethical training of the highest quality.

Colombia has a low proportion of anesthesiologists, with 5 anesthesiologists per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to developed countries like Sweden that has 20 anesthesiologists per 100,000 inhabitants, and Europe in general, which has 15 anesthesiologists per 100,000 inhabitants. The lack of anesthesiologists in Colombian cities and especially in rural areas of the country is evident.

Legal support, the regulation of medical practice within the framework of a state of law like ours, clearly delineates the conditions of the doctor-patient relationship. The doctor exercises his profession inspired by a moral duty to preserve health and life, as well as a legal duty that obliges him/her to make available his/her knowledge, expertise, prudence, diligence and experience to achieve this goal. They are therefore obligations of means and not of result, these guidelines are based on Law 14 of 1962 (April 28); as well as Law 23 of 1981 (February 18), which includes the norms regarding medical ethics.

Article 26 of the Constitution of 1991, allows the grouping of professionals in each discipline of medicine with ethical behavior, stimulating its modernization and contributing to a correct and effective professional service. Based on this proposal, the Sixth Law of 1991 (January 16) regulates the practice of anesthesiology as a medical specialty, sanctioned by President Cesar Gaviria Trujillo and which is summarized in the following points:

  • Anaesthesiology must be carried out by a professional who is qualified and trained in a postgraduate program recognized by the state.
  • Institutions must provide the means to practice the specialty.
  • The fees must be based on agreements between the SCARE (Colombian Society of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation) and the national government.
  • The national committee of anesthesiology will ensure compliance with ideal practice.
  • A period of 5 (five) years is granted for those who practice the specialty without being specialists, to obtain their degree.

Based on this structure, the projected training is that of a specialist who is a leader in scientific and administrative development processes, within a framework of a humanistic, moral and ethical environment. The aim is to train an anesthesiologist with various skills and abilities that enable him/her to continuously grow professionally, and someone who is capable of perpetuating the essence of the program through actions of teaching, assistance and research with other health professionals.

A specialist in anesthesiology will be able to perform in all fields of action of anesthesiology such as general anesthesia, cardiovascular, chest surgery, cardioanesthesia, neuroanesthesia and regional anesthesia, and may face patients of all age ranges from the pre-anesthetic evaluation, the intraoperative and postoperative phases and acute and chronic pain management.

Our program offers a solid agreement between a recognized and modern university and one of the health institutions with the greatest technological development, exceptional academic reach and an inexhaustible scientific ambition.

Degree

Especialista en Alergología

Length of program

2 years

Investment (semester)

$ 13.530.000 COP

Director

Dr. Darío Hernando Cobo Medina

Coordinator

Dr. Einar Sten Billefals Vallejo

FEATURED STRENGTHS

Applicant Profile

The motivation to be an anesthesiologist, the desire to belong to the specialty and develop with pleasure the activities of the specialty are fundamental bases for the choice of applicants, since the work of this specialty is carried out under special conditions such as work in areas with restricted access and circulation such as operating rooms, during work schedules that may extend up to 12 hours or more. The working environment in surgery rooms is that of working under pressure for various reasons, in which fast and definitive decisions must be made for the treatment of the patient. The specialist must have adequate stress management skills and be able to react in a rapid and consistent way in such situations. It is essential that he/she knows how to work in a team and knows when to ask for help, since what is at stake is the patient's life. Stress management and conflict resolution in operating rooms require a conciliatory and persuasive attitude. Great tolerance to frustration is necessary, since positive achievements after long and exhausting sessions in the integral treatment of the patient are sometimes attributed only to the surgeon and not the anesthesiologist. The anesthesiologist must arrive at the surgery room with a management plan for the patient depending on the physical condition and associated pathologies. Time management is also important in order to fulfill all the responsibilities of the training process. Furthermore, a great sense of responsibility and punctuality in the fulfillment of the schedules is essential, since scheduled work must be carried out without delays to be able to develop it in its entirety and avoid unnecessary cancellations. The applicant must also have good manual dexterity, in order to acquire, with appropriate training, the necessary skills to perform all procedures related to the specialty.

Graduate Profile

Train a specialist with competences at multiple levels to address the patient during the perioperative period in different circumstances and levels of complexity of health care with emphasis on: skilful handling, safe and effective management of techniques of anesthesia, analgesia, resuscitation and critical care.  Perform preanesthetic assessment and perioperative risk estimation and have the ability to interact with other professionals in the area to provide comprehensive patient management.  Attitudes and skills necessary to implement cost regulation mechanisms, special care programs and adequate quality standards in the functional units relevant to the specialty.  Educational attitudes for the appropriation and dissemination of knowledge of their specialty to doctors, paramedics, patients and family members.  Skills necessary for critical understanding of new knowledge, participation in research and development groups of the specialty, as well as the publication of scientific papers, and development of protocols relevant to the specialty.

Institutional Accreditation

In the Resolution, the Ministry states: "It has been shown that Universidad Icesi has achieved sufficient quality levels so that, in accordance with the norms that govern the matter, this fact is publicly recognized through a formal act of institutional accreditation". We are the first private university in southwestern Colombia to obtain the highest recognition of quality provided by the Colombian Government. This is a recognition of the quality of the academic programs, their operation and the fulfillment of the social function of the university. Universidad Icesi was accredited in May 2010 by the Ministry of Education through the National Accreditation Committee (CNA), making it the first accredited private university in Cali and the region. In the Resolution, the Ministry states: "It has been demonstrated that Universidad Icesi has achieved sufficient quality levels so that, in accordance with the rules that govern the matter, this fact is publicly recognized through a formal act of institutional accreditation".

Icesi and the Fundación Valle del Lili

The Fundación Valle del Lili and Universidad Icesi have become allies through an agreement that has been called: a deep alliance for life. With this agreement the region is strengthened by the union of two well reputed institutions, which will now work together for the well-being and the health of people and for maintaining a leadership position thanks to their constant advances in the academic, social, humanistic and scientific fields. The Fundación Valle del Lili is the university hospital with the best conditions, both in terms of infrastructure, human resources and technology, and it will provide clinical training and medical practice to future students. This alliance allows both institutions to establish a synergy in all their activities, through coordination for work, preservation of excellence in performance, already widely recognized in both institutions, and consolidates the social projection of both institutions in one of the most important sectors for the community - health. For both institutions this agreement is a strategic step. Scholarship support to resident doctors is an internal process of the Fundación Valle del Lili, whose process will be informed in a timely manner to those who are admitted.