The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 and still raging in 2021 is a global emergency where no country was spared from its high morbidity and mortality. Life changed in innumerable ways, from lock downs to job losses, isolation and mental health crisis. All countries suffered. If it were not for the quick development of medications and vaccines, coupled with preventive measures like facial masks, social distancing and frequent washing of hands, we will be in a worse chaos. Some countries like India and many in Latin America have been devastated and its consequences will be long felt even after the pandemic is controlled. Understanding the cause, its epidemiology and controlled measures is important. Although it took 100 years to encounter a global pandemic of this magnitude, scientists warn of almost inevitable future global pandemics. This review will explore some salient aspects of ...

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic required development of new methods to treat and prevent the infection. Initially, prevention was limited to facial masks, social distancing and the closure of institutions. The description of the viral genome, allowed the manufacturing of vaccines against the virus. The mRNA vaccines are two are the most promising, one manufactured by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health in the United States and another by Pfizer and BioNTech. These vaccines contain a synthetic analog of a highly immunogenic area of the viral spike, when inoculated in humans; they carry the message to produce viral proteins and stimulate immunologic responses for viral elimination. A 95% effectiveness in Phase 3 studies, was reported for both and they can be manufactured in short time.  Both laboratories have applied to the Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization an...

Prevenir un suicidio es, actualmente, prioridad en Salud Pública ya que es la principal razón de muerte violenta en elmundo. Globalmente, cada año, cerca de un millón de personas mueren por suicidio, aunque hay un sub-registro significativo(1). La epidemiologia y tasa de suicidios es diferente en el mundo; así, se registra mayor número de suicidios en Europadel Este, comparado a América Latina. Igualmente, el género masculino registra mayor cantidad de suicidios consumados,aunque el sexo femenino tiene un número mayor de intentos suicidas. Vale mencionar que, frecuentemente, se observaintentos previos antes de consumarlo. Tal conducta debe alertarnos pues ofrece esperanza que una intervención apropiada y pronta puede reducir el número de víctimas.

As of 2024, medical school graduates who wish to pursue graduate studies in the U.S. or in Canada, they must have graduated from medical schools with quality educational programs endorsed by recognized agencies, capable of granting international accreditation.   The World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) is one of these agencies.  The WFME accepted the new accreditation policy of the Educational Committee for Foreign Medical Education (ECFMG) whereby physicians applying for ECFMG certification from 2024 onwards, must have graduated from a university medical center accredited by a quality assurance agency that is recognized by the WFME. The COMAEM (Mexican Council for the Accreditation of Medical Education) is endorsed by the WFME and other international organizations that ensure the quality of higher education. The accreditation granted by COMAEM is a recognition th...

Presentamos la experiencia del Policlínico de la Peruvian American Medical Society (PAMS) en Chincha, en la ejecución de misiones médico-educativas en la región Chincha. El Policlínico PAMS presta atención médica general y especializada a la población de la zona, seis días a la semana. Además, recibe misiones médicas que vienen generalmente de los EE. UU. Desde 2011, se han recibido 43 misiones médicas. La composición y la naturaleza de las misiones han cambiado con el tiempo. Los primeros años se atraía a especialistas con el énfasis de traer equipos e insumos para mejorar la infraestructura del Policlínico. Ahora estamos limitados por la renuencia de voluntarios de venir al Perú en parte debido a que el gobierno americano considera que viajes al Perú son de alto riesgo. Esta limitación nos ha brindado la oportunidad de hacer misiones médicas juntamente con dos exce...

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on medical care and medical education in Peru.  In response, the Peruvian American Medical Society (PAMS), a charitable medical organization based in the USA, pursued its medical and educational missions in Peru by adopting virtual learning technology. We developed closer collaborative relationships with several medical schools and the Peruvian Association of Medical Schools (ASPEFAM) while offering a faculty panel of twenty-four members to provide lectures and multidisciplinary webinars in Spanish. We conducted 19 webinars including COVID -19 and non-COVID-19 related topics that over the last two years attracted 14,489 participants from 23 countries. They were the foundation for twenty publications in Peruvian medical journals. Our clinical investigations competition was positively received as was our pilot project on research mentorsh...