On February 5, the director of the Department of Clinical Medicine UMH, Dr. Félix Gutierrez, and Dr. Luis Hernández Blasco, secretary of the department, had an interview on radio UMH to take a tour of the different research, areas of knowledge, scientific publications, workshops, TFG’s, master’s degrees, competitions, congresses, seminars and new challenges of the department.

During the interview on Radio UMH, the lines of research of each of the four areas of knowledge of the Department of Clinical Medicine UMH were highlighted, naming the research projects for each of them:

• Immunology
• Psychiatry
• Medicine
• Dermatology

Emphasis was also placed on the two main areas: infection and immunity, which include different inflammatory, infectious and immune diseases; and healthy aging and chronicity, with metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.

Much of the faculty research linked to the department is part of a PHD Doctoral program, the PhD program in Public Health and Medical and Surgical Sciences, where three departments work together: the Department of Clinical Medicine, the Department of Surgery and the Department of Public Health.
Within this program, these are the lines in which professors in the Department of Clinical Medicine have a greater prominence; but there are also other professors who participate in other lines of research, such as bacterial translocation, liver diseases, among other projects.

Quality: Teaching Quality Indicators

Also highlighted in the interview on radio UMH the central role of the Department of Clinical Medicine UMH in the training of health professionals, essential to acquire the competences that are needed for the exercise of the health professions, and especially that of doctor.

The Department of Clinical Medicine develops teaching in the five degrees of Health Sciences, and teaches in 18 of the 41 compulsory subjects of the Degree in Medicine and 4 of the 11 elective subjects. In addition, 5 of the 9 Clinical Rotation are coordinated from the department.

The results of the quality indicators, in the 5 dimensions that are evaluated (teaching, teaching organization, teaching support, teacher satisfaction and student satisfaction with teaching) are widely good, and have tended to improve in recent years. In terms of ratings we would be around a score of 4 out of 5 as overall ratings of those indicators across the department. Although there are variations in the different areas, between 85% and 100% of students are satisfied with the teaching that is received and with the professors.

From the Department of Clinical Medicine we are committed to a quality teaching and strive to improve indicators.

Regarding clinical practices in hospitals, it is a great challenge in our department, so it has been proposed that an evaluation of the quality of practices in hospitals be incorporated; and we’re already finalizing the details so that it joins hospitals. We believe this will be an important step.

Publications and research

Regarding the publications and research of the Department of Clinical Medicine UMH, the interview mentioned the great research that is being carried out. Currently the professors of the department are directing 72 Ph Doctoral theses and, in the last year, they have been published about 300 scientific journals.

Workshops, seminars and conferences

The organization of seminars, research methodology workshops, private studies courses of improvement and professional specialization, and other speciality and workshop courses by the department were also important.

Within the program of Ph Doctorate in Public Health and Medical and Surgical Sciences, seminars are organized periodically in which we have speakers from the department itself, national and international speakers. In the last 3 years, within the program, 39 seminars have been organized, one third of which have been organized or taught by professors of the Department of Clinical Medicine UMH.

Department master’s degree and student profile

In reference to the master’s degree , the department currently directs 5 of the 12 official master’s degrees of the Miguel Hernández University in Health Sciences, among them in Master’s Degree in Primary Care Research , the Master’s Degree in Clinical Medicine Research , the Master’s Degree in in Health Management , the Master’s Degree in Emergency Medicine and the Master’s Degree in Infectious Diseases and International Health.

The demand for these master’s degree is very large, so that students always remain on the waiting list. The students come from the Valencian Community, as well as from other communities such as Murcia and Andalusia, Spain, and foreign students.

Jaime Merino contest presentation ceremony

The previous director of the department, Professor Javier Fernández, proposed to pay a deserved tribute to Professor Dr. Jaime Merino, who was the first director and also one of the key figures of the Faculty of Medicine of the UMH.

The objective of this award was to stimulate the observation of students, and improve both their clinical skills and their scientific communication with the new technologies of the digital era. It has had a great acceptance among the students.

National Congress of Medicine Students

The department collaborates in the organization of the Congress, in the presentation of presentations, moderations, workshops and in the supervision and tutoring of the works presented by the students, something that we consider very important.

In addition, we participate economically in congresses, such as the Health Sciences Campus of San Juan and the National Congress of Medicine Students (CENEM) for logistical support, in panels, accreditations, and also, specifically, in prizes for the best communications.

We have great interest in continuing to participate and intensifying our collaboration with medical students, since it is a great merit that the idea was born here, that it remains for decades and we must continue supporting them.

Final Degree projects and Ph Doctorates

In reference to the TFG’s, the growing role of the department was discussed. Main part in the training of any degree student, as well as research training, especially in Medical Degree and in Health Sciences Degrees . The department directs 2 out of 3 Final Degree Work in Medicine , that is, 64% of all projects. In the past year and during this year, professors from our department have directed them.

In this course, 59 works of Clinical Medicine, 9 of Psychiatry, 2 of Dermatology and 1 of Immunology will be directed from the department. There are currently 295 students taking the official master’s degrees, so the department is responsible for the direction of the projects of all those students. The topics were widely different, from cardiology to infectious, digestive diseases, etc.

Sexenios and accreditations of ANECA

Introspection, from the department our main weakness was stressed during the intervention: the insufficient number of full-time professors, who are the ones who can really acquire the recognition of research sections, the so-called sexenios

To achieve that position as a full-time professor, the accreditation of ANECA is necessary, which is the current bottleneck in which it is located. In the department, of 91 professors, only 12 are full time; together they have 40 research six-years.

The number of sexennia per professor is relatively high, partly because many of the professors are seniors , because in most cases, when this university position has been accessed, they already had a previous scientific career.

The great challenge that the department has is the need to increase the time of full-time PDI, and for that, it is necessary to ensure that professors, who have an interest and who want to make a university career, can do so. It is necessary to support that they obtain the ANECA accreditation, but the real thing is that teaching and research be supported so that the professors accumulate sufficient merits to be able to be accredited.

Talento Docente Awards

In relation to the Talento Docente Awards, of which 4 of the department’s professors have been awarded, among those interviewed, the Prof. Félix Gutiérrez and the Prof. Luis Hernández Blasco, in addition to Prof. Jose Manuel Ramos Rincón and Profª. Lorena García Fernández stressed the award of both for such recognition, especially for the great effort made, both in practices and in classes and in the direction of Final Degree Projects.

Challenges and new achievements of the Department of Clinical Medicine UMH with new technologies

One of the challenges facing the Department of Clinical Medicine was highlighted during the interview on radio UMH, and it is the incorporation of new technologies into teaching. Something with which the department is undoubtedly committed. One of the things that have been done recently is the creation of a Twitter account.

On the other hand, the greatest strength of the Department of Clinical Medicine UMH was also highlighted, from the professionalism of the Administration and Services Staff (PAS), to the excellence and commitment of the professors.

Support for research, procedures, facilitate translations, methodological advice of work to achieve better results and, above all, continue to improve teaching, reduce master classes in favor of methods that favor active learning, self-learning , new technologies, having enough professors to favor small groups and thus develop the tasks of mentoring and mentoring, which are essential in modern teaching, are some of the challenges facing the Department of Clinical Medicine UMH.

Coronavirus

Finally, a very booming topic was currently highlighted, the Coronavirus, in which the professors of the department made reference to the importance of the transmission of knowledge of professionals to avoid social alarms. In this sense, the professors mentioned the need to send a message of calm, and to make known to the population the measures that are being taken at international level, proportionate and sufficient, to minimize the risks of pandemic and the excessive preparation of our National Sanitary System.

From the Department of Clinical Medicine UMH we are very grateful to the radio UMH for their invitation.

Listen to the interview on radio UMH complete here: