[Self-learning of ethics in medicine history. An attractive experience]

Introduction. The concept of person-based medicine may be transmitted to undergraduate studies and the subject of History of Medicine can be a good chance for it, if we engage the students to confront them with the characters, values and actions of those personalities who achieved the principal scientific advances in biomedicine area. Material and Method. In this work, it is described a methodological experience in the transmission of knowledge of History of Medicine following a teaching model which was lead on 130 students who performed analysis on circumstances, actions and ethical values of physicians and scientists that led to significant advances in the field of biomedicine through history. Thus, each student was assigned the subject of one character for study and every one was asked to make an oral presentation with a brief written work including a personal reflection. Results. Oral presentations and written works showed how students were able to do a balance of ethical implications in 77% of the cases. Only 23% of students were not able to see ethical perspectives of the studied characters. The most frequently refered values were the attitudes of perseverance in the study, the selfless dedication to patients and the passionate effort on continuous learning. Conclussions. Undergraduate training in Health Sciences and Medicine offers an excellent training opportunities in ethics and transmission of values through humanistic subjects such as the History of Medicine. The self-reflection by students on the main characters of scientific advances seems to be a good education proposal to promote ethical awareness.