Current situation of doctoral training at the Medical Sciences University of Matanzas

Abstract

Introduction: the doctorate stands out within the organizational forms of academic training; it is regulated in the legislation of the National System of Scientific Degrees. Despite the existence of an updated doctoral training strategy in the Medical Sciences University of Matanzas and of the rest of the health care teaching institutions of the province, few doctors are graduated.

Objective: to reflect on the current situation of doctoral training at the Medical Sciences University of Matanzas.

Materials and methods: a diagnostic research with a quantitative-qualitative approach was carried out in the field of university management. Theoretical methods like information analysis and synthesis were used, and also the systemic structural one and empirical like documental review of different reports, databases and agreements.

Results: more than half of doctors work in the Medical Sciences University of Matanzas. The doctors of the health care specialties are less than half of them, while the pedagogical profile is on the second place. The relationship between doctorate and teaching category, masters' degree, research category, and second grade specialty to the scientific degree is very low, and in no case exceeds 5%. The same occurs in the doctoral reserve.

Conclusions: the training of doctors of sciences in some fields of the knowledge has been inadequate in the Medical Sciences University of Matanzas for many years, and currently is still compromised; nevertheless, the organization of doctoral reserve and the established agreements can help to revert the situation.