Ignacio A. Santos School of Medicine

History

In the mid 20th century up until the 1970s, directors of ITESM felt that academic standards were falling in the medical fields in Mexico and decided to establish their own medical school. In the 1970s, Ignacio A. Santos, an entrepreneur and philanthropist in Monterrey donated the Hospital San Jóse (HSJ) to ITESM to establish the new program. Another reason for the establishment of the school was to provide advanced and specialized training, which before was studied by Mexican students in the United States.

ITESM took over operations of the hospital along with develop the medical education program, naming it the "Escuela de Medicina Ignacio A. Santos "(EMIS) of Tecnológico de Monterrey (Ignacio A. Santos Medical School) in August 1978. The first class had 27 students selected from a list of 85 applicants.

Organization of the school

The Medical School is part of the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) system which has 31 campuses in various parts of Mexico. It is the most reputable private higher education system in Mexico, with a total of 70,000 students enrolled. The medical school in Monterrey campus receives 30 students selected annually. At present, with the expansion of the school and increased academic programs in the health program was transformed into what is now the School of Medicine and Health Sciences offers the following programs, at the bachelors level, including: physician and surgeon, biomedical engineering, nursing, nutrition and wellness, health systems management, dental surgery and clinical psychology.

The medical school sponsors university linked residency and fellowship programs. Currently this program offers positions in 18 fields, including anesthesiology, clinical quality improvement, general surgery, geriatrics, gynecology and obstetrics, internal medicine, ophthalmology, pediatrics, psychiatry, diagnostic radiology, cardiology, critical care medicine, neonatology, clinical neurology, pediatric neurology and urology. In addition, fellowships in selective areas are offered, including: Breast Surgery, Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, and Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.

The school has been accredited by the Mexican Association of Colleges and Schools of Medicine, AC (AMFEM) in November 1996, as National Accreditation System Quality Medical Education. It also is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) through the Tecnológico de Monterrey. Its curriculum is registered with the Ministry of Education and clinical training programs at undergraduate and graduate levels are in the Ministry of Health. Also in recent years, graduates have been ranked in the overall Aspiring National Examination for Medical Residence.

Program

The undergraduate medical program divides into basic medical sciences, clinical sciences and social service, emphasizing basic concepts of sciences and humanities, as well as structure and normal and abnormal function of the human body, always in a biological, psychological and social context.

The method that is used in all the classes is the ABP (problem based learning), where the teacher adopts the role of tutor, working with small groups of 6-8 students. This method requires that the students define the fields of knowledge that they have to study and learn to solve health problems.This methodology seeks to develop the following skills: self learning, clinical reasoning, teamwork and self-evaluation.

The first three terms correspond to the phase of basic science, which are studied mostly in Monterrey Campus. Between the 4th and the 7th semester, the phase of basic medical sciences is held at the Medical Complex Hospital San José Tec Monterrey. The third stage of the program takes place in the form of quarterly modules, from the 9th. to the 12th semester and is known as the stage of clinical sciences. Here the student already has a general perspective of what he is going to face during his professional life.

Admission

In Mexico the study of General Medicine is done at the undergraduate level. Those who aim to be part of EMIS are able to apply after graduating from high school with an average age between 18–20 years. The following steps are required to do so.

At first is required to get an average greater than 85 in high school studies,which is a majority of A+ in almost all the subjects. After the first requirement is fulfilled the next step is to get a score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (PAA) Admission to the Institute, exceeding 1350 points.

Then is needed to submit the "Application for admission" to the Admissions Department located inside the facilities of the selected campus If shortlisted the applicant will be informed via email and as next procedure he will have the teachers of EMIS to interview him, during this interview the applicant will have to deliver them a letter of recommendation from his manager at high school and also an essay explaining why he choose the major and what he is planning to do if admitted.

Teaching facilities

Inside the ITESM system only 4 campus out of 33 offer the possibility of studying the M.D major, this campuses are Monterrey, Chihuahua, Guadalajara and Ciudad de México, and only two have facilities dedicated for that major in specifictly.

Campus Monterrey was the first one to introduce the medical major at ITESM so the history and buildings related to this are the most significant. In Campus Garza Sada( Monterrey) the students have classrooms as well as a hospital in which they practice and take class. This hospital is the San José hospital that was donated in 1969 by Don Ignacio A. Santos and his wife Doña Consuelo De La Garza Evia with the main purpose of giving place for investigation and treatment of patients with oncologic issues.

Currently the San Jose hospital gives attention to all the patients who are willing to be attended by physicians graduated from EMIS and also by students from the EMIS who are coursing from 5th semester to 9th, the technology inside the building one of the best offered in Latin-America giving them the affiliation to the Methodist health care system.

The second campus that offers a M.D major is Campus Ciudad De México, in 2011 ITESM decided to build a ne facility called "Scientific Park".

Basically this building will have specific scientific laboratories for the needs of biotech engineering and biomedical engineering,modern equipment for the development of activities for both careers. Furthermore, the government created an agreement with ITESM and now a department in charge of watching, supporting, and promoting new inventions is created and will take place in the facility.