With the objective of promoting research in health, over two thousand medical students participated in two parallel Congresses in Cuzco, Peru, from August 14 to 18, 2018. The XXIII Congreso CientĂfico Internacional (XXXIII International Scientific Congress) the main event held annually by the FederaciĂłn Lationoamericana de Sociedades CientĂficas de Estudiantes de Medicina – FELSOCEM (Latin American Federation of Scientific Societies of Medical Students – FELSOCEM) and the I Congreso CientĂfico Panamericano – XXXII Congreso CientĂfico Nacional de la Sociedad CientĂfica Medico Estudiantil Peruana – SOCIMEP (I Pan American Scientific Congress – XXXII National Scientific Congress of the Peruvian Scientific Society of Medical Students – SOCIMEP).
Both events were sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and Dr. Carlos Arosquipa, from PAHO/WHO subregional office for South America, presented in each event the theme “Universal Health in scientific research”.
The Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information (BIREME/PAHO/WHO), in its role of democratizing information, evidence and knowledge, and having as one of its main objectives the final user of the information, was represented by Dr. Diego González, Director of the Center, who presented, during a master conference in the FELSOCEM Congress, the topic “Young researchers: contribution to health information and 2030 Agenda” and librarian Rosemeire Rocha Pinto, who addressed the issue “Scientific evidence in health in Latin America and the Caribbean: Where and how to access available information” in the SOCIMEP Congress and offered a workshop on “Access and use of health information” in the FELSOCEM Congress.
The workshop was assisted by medical students from seven countries: Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala, Chile and Panamá. Using a theoretical and practical methodology, the following issues were addressed: Concept and use of scientific evidence and main types of health research; the PICO(TS) method for structuring the research question; searching terms in the Health Science Descriptors (DeCS); main sources of health information and how to access them; resources for searching databases; and evaluation of search results.
The SOCIMEP Congress, with the presence of 1,200 national students and 200 international students, offered pre-congress courses, workshops, presentations on public health, clinical sciences and medical investigation, and was attended by the Dean of the Colegio MĂ©dico del Peru (Medical College of Peru), Dr. Liliana Cabani, and by authorities of the Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco (San Antonio Abad National University of Cuzco).
Meanwhile, the XXXIII International Scientific Congress, with the theme “32 years leading undergraduate scientific research in Latin America”, received 700 medical students from over 12 countries of the Region and was a space for young researchers to get involved in a field as important as research. Talks and master conferences on current themes relevant to public health were offered, in order to generate conscience, stimulate critical thinking and generate strategies and solutions to the growing problems in the field of global health.
The presence of PAHO/WHO as the international health organ was greatly appreciated and recognized by RaĂşl Aveiro and Andy Bryan Campero, president of the SOCIMEP and FELSOCEM Congresses, respectively.
Demonstrations of traditional Peruvian dances took place in both Congresses, which ended with a high interest level for scientific research on behalf of students from the entire Region.
About FELSOCEM
The Latin American Federation of Scientific Societies of Medical Students (FELSOCEM) is a non-profit, scientific organization dedicated to promote scientific research among undergraduate students from Latin American Medical Schools through the increase on high quality research, the improvement of the scientific level of the work and the promotion of scientific event both regionally and in all of Latin America, among other activities.
Source: http://www.felsocem.net/quienes-somos#nosotros (in Spanish)
About SOCIMEP
The Peruvian Scientific Society of Medical Students (SOCIMEP) was founded on August 27, 1992 in the city of Cuzco, with the objective of promoting research among undergraduate students. Currently, the SOCIMEP congregates 40 Scientific Societies of Medical Students from 18 regions of Peru.
Source: https://www.socimep.net/ (in Spanish)