University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine

The University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, School of Medicine is located in the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It the only medical school in the University of Puerto Rico System. It has full accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). Its students are predominantly Puerto Rican residents.

Institute of Tropical Medicine
In the nineteenth century, major health problems affected the Puerto Rican population. Anemia, malnutrition and parasitism were just some of the most common conditions in children and adults. With the arrival of U.S. troops in 1898, the need for effective health plans to serve the population became a priority. With the change of sovereignty, anemia commissions were established in Puerto Rico. Thus began the development of what would become the Institute of Tropical Medicine, which was formalized in 1912.

School of Tropical Medicine
A consolidation of the former Institute of Tropical Medicine and other entities led in 1926 to the formation of the School of Tropical Medicine. Funds from Columbia University were used for the training of different health professionals in the island. At the same time, studies were conducted on tropical diseases hitherto of unknown etiology or of high prevalence, morbidity and mortality in Puerto Rico. In 1946, Columbia University decided to cancel the money sent to the Medical School, which led to its closure.

UPR School of Medicine
The need for a State Medical School led in 1950 to the creation of the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine as part of the University of Puerto Rico System, thanks to efforts made by the lawyer and first president of the University, Jaime Benitez. It began with an enrollment of 52 students. The school received its accreditation on 20 April 1954. In 1960, the University established a graduate program[which?], unique[why?] in Puerto Rico, along with other[which?] medical services and research. Distinguished professors[who?] from European countries and Latin America visited the School for academics, research and consultation

Academics
MD Program
The curriculum of the program leading to the Doctor of Medicine degree is designed following the trends of modern medical education and takes into consideration the health needs of the community. It is divided into two major components: two years of required biomedical sciences and two years of clinical clerkships. The School of Medicine MD Program is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.

Graduate Programs
Programs leading to: Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in:

Anatomy, Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Physiology, Microbiology and Medical Zoology Biology through an intercampus (UPR-Medical Sciences and Rio Piedras) program.

Departments:

• Anatomy & Neurobiology
• Biochemistry
• Microbiology and Medical Zoology
• Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Physiology

Affordable Care Act and The Role of the Physician by AMSA/ACP
On Thursday, October 4th, 2012 the American Medical Student Association University of Puerto Rico - School of Medicine Chapter (AMSA UPR-SOM) and the American College of Physicians (ACP) sponsored a discussion forum with three invited distinguished panelists with expertise on Health Reform and Public Health: Dr. Norman Maldonado, Dr. Ibrahim Perez and Dr. Roberto Ramirez. This event, titled: Affordable Care Act and The Role of The Physician', was held to introduce topics pertaining to the impact of the US court decision on the new health reform on Puerto Rico and our healthcare system. The discussion forum commenced with a formal presentation of each panelist by the ACP and AMSA leaders and then Dr. Francisco Muniz served as moderator for the remainder of the forum's proceedings. The night ended with a question session in which the audience directed specific queries to each of the panelists and afterwards a brief cocktail was scheduled for further individual discussions

White Coat Ceremony
The School of Medicine welcomed Class of 2016 at the annual White Coat Ceremony held in September at Centro de Bellas Artes in Guaynabo. At the event 115 first year medical students were presented with traditional white coat, a long time symbol of the medical profession. This year's keynote speakers was Dr. Ricardo Gonzalez Santoni, Associated Professor of Family Medicine and Geriatric Department, and Dr. Juan C. Gavalda, Family Medicine Resident, class 2012.

Center for Informatics Technology
The Center for Informatics and Technology (CIT) is an academic support unit that provides facilities and consulting services to students and faculty of the School of Medicine. Its main goal is to promote academic excellence, in accordance to the mission of the School and the University of Puerto Rico. Besides providing computing facilities to students, it gives training and consulting services in the use of general purpose software as well as specific software used in our curriculum. Faculty members receive training and support in the development of educational materials. Through its WebCT server, the CIT makes available educational materials developed by faculty and CIT staff that students can access locally or remotely through an Internet connection.

The CIT offers a number of services to the UPR community through its participation in the Intramural Practice Plan. Among the services provided are: Training in the use of general application programs, such as Word, WordPerfect, PowerPoint and Excel, online course development and administration via WebCT; Web hosting of on-line courses; Web authoring; and Networking services, including design and installation. For a complete listing of services please use the link from the menu at the top of this page.

University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine Degree Programs :

Medicine

Pharmacy

Video Presentation

University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine