Peru's Health Ministry recommends observing law creating new medical specialty pathways

Peru's Ministry of Health (Minsa) has recommended that the executive branch review a new law passed by Congress that aims to modify the National Medical Residency System (Sinareme). The proposed legislation introduces new modalities for obtaining medical specialties, intending to address the country's shortage of specialists.

While Minsa agrees with the law's general objective of closing gaps in specialist numbers, its technical report highlights concerns regarding the precision and quality control of some of the proposed mechanisms. The ministry specifically points to the need for adjustments to ensure the quality of medical training remains high.

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We agree with the general approach of the aforementioned bill, as a measure that would help close the gaps in specialists within the health system; however (...) we recommend OBSERVING the present bill.

The law modifies Law N.° 30453 and outlines three main routes to specialty recognition: the traditional medical residency, postgraduate studies, and a modality based on acquired competencies. Minsa questions how these new pathways will align with university regulations and the requirements for obtaining a second professional specialty.

Key concepts within the law, such as postgraduate training, continuous professional development, and advanced clinical practice, are noted by Minsa as lacking sufficient definition regarding their scope, evaluation criteria, and accreditation mechanisms. The ministry emphasizes that specialist training requires maintaining rigorous academic and clinical standards due to the complexity of the skills involved. The proposed "specialty by competencies" route, which would recognize experienced physicians through theoretical and practical evaluations, is particularly scrutinized. Minsa suggests this modality should be limited to specific specialties determined by the ministry and adhere to standardized criteria evaluated at accredited institutions.

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Some medical specialties require specific skills and abilities that can only be acquired through in-person training.