The Ministry of Education (MEC) has authorized the opening of 11 medical courses in the country. The established courses will offer 710 new annual spots, out of a total of 2,305 to be opened across Brazil by the completion of the 36 expected authorizations.
The courses are set to begin activities this year in municipalities in the South and Southeast of the country – the North and Northeast regions will be included in the next round of authorizations.
In Paraná, the cities of Campo Mourão (50 spots – Faculdade Integrado de Campo Mourão) and Pato Branco (50 spots – Faculdade de Pato Branco/ FADEP) will receive medical courses. In Rio de Janeiro, Angra dos Reis (55 spots – Universidade Estácio de Sá/Unesa) will be included, and in Rio Grande do Sul, Novo Hamburgo (60 spots – Universidade Feevale) and São Leopoldo (65 spots – Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos/Unisinos).
In São Paulo, medical degree programs will be authorized in Araras (55 spots – Faculdade São Leopoldo Mandic), Guarulhos (100 spots – Universidade Nove de Julho/Uninove), Mauá (50 spots – Uninove), Osasco (70 spots – Uninove), Rio Claro (55 spots – Faculdade Claretianorc) and São Bernardo do Campo (100 spots – Uninove).
To authorize the openings, the MEC consulted the Ministry of Health to identify which municipalities were suitable to receive the new medical courses. Among the criteria, based on Law No. 12,781/2013, are the region’s needs, the infrastructure of the educational institution, and the doctor/population ratio. The municipality must have a hospital with more than 80 beds in the Unified Health System (SUS) and the potential to be a teaching hospital.
“The increase in the number of medical course spots in the country will enable, in the medium term, the expansion of care and improvement in the population’s access to health,” said the Minister of Education, Mendonça Filho.
According to him, the MEC’s commitment is also to the quality of education offered by the institutions. “The new courses will be monitored for the next three years. Annual visits will be conducted to assess the quality and the fulfillment of commitments made with the MEC for student training and the capacity of each institution,” he concluded.
Source: Portal Brasil