[Un analysis of present situation of medical specialties un Chile]

During the fifties and sixties, physicians were mostly prepared as general practitioners. However, the progress in scientific knowledge and the introduction of complex technologies required the training of specialists. A number of sub specialties have been progressively added to the four basic specialties, namely Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology and General Surgery. The Post Graduate Schools of the traditional universities devised courses and training periods to teach these sub specialties. The Association of Medicine Schools has been in charge of the accreditation of the new training centers. Since the training of new specialists required the collaboration of hospitals of the public National Health Service, there is a special commission that coordinates the relationships between teaching requirements and medical attention in these hospitals. There is still a controversy on the exact proportion of general practitioners and specialists that the country needs, the role of Family Practice and the role of prevention and health promotion.