Rheumatology Training in Latin America: A Collaborative Study by the Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Demand for rheumatology care has steadily increased in recent years. The number of specialists in this field, however, seems insufficient. No recent studies have diagnosed the attributes of rheumatology training in Latin America. METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. We obtained data on each country through local rheumatologists of the Pan-American League Against Rheumatism, who acted as principal investigators for participating countries. Our sample was analyzed and described through means and standard deviations or through frequencies and percentages, depending on the variable. RESULTS: Countries with the most rheumatology-training programs were Brazil (n = 50), Argentina (n = 18), and Mexico (n = 15). Ecuador, Honduras, and Nicaragua do not have rheumatology-training programs. The countries with the most available slots for rheumatology residents were Brazil (n = 126) and Argentina (n = 36). To be admitted into rheumatology training, candidates were required to have completed graduate studies in internal medicine in 42.1% of the programs. In 8 countries (42.1%), residents are not required to pay tuition; the median cost of tuition in the remaining countries is US $528 (interquartile range, US $2153). CONCLUSIONS: Conditions associated with rheumatology training in Latin America vary. Significant differences exist in income and tuition fees for residents, for example, and 4 countries in Latin America do not currently offer programs. Information collected in this study will be useful when comparing the status of rheumatology services offered in Latin America with those in other countries. Most countries require a wider offering of rheumatology-training programs, as well as more available slots.

Current status of the rheumatologists' workforce in Latin America: a PANLAR collaborative study.

INTRODUCTION: Studies conducted by various scientific societies have shown that the demand for specialized rheumatology care is greater than the projected growth of the workforce. Our research aims to assess the current status of the rheumatology workforce in Latin America. METHOD: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study. A survey was created on the RedCap platform. Data were analyzed with STATA 15® Software. We present descriptive analyses. The rate of inhabitants per rheumatologist was calculated using the number of rheumatologists practicing in each country and the inhabitants for year 2020. RESULTS: Our sample was composed by 19 PANLAR member countries in Latin America. Latin America has one rheumatologist per 106,838 inhabitants. The highest rate of rheumatologist per inhabitants was found in Uruguay (1 per 27,426 inhabitants), and the lowest was found in Nicaragua (1 per 640,648 inhabitants). Mean age was 51.59 (SD12.70), ranging between 28 and 96 years of age. Mean monthly compensation was USD $2382.6 (SD$1462.5). The country with lowest salary was Venezuela ($197), whereas the highest was Costa Rica ($4500). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high variability in rheumatologists' workforce characteristics in Latin America. These results could lead to policies aiming to increase the availability and income of rheumatologists, in order to increase opportunity and quality of care of patients living with rheumatic diseases. Key Points • The rheumatologists' workforce varies significantly among Latin American countries. • The supply of rheumatologists is insufficient for meeting the increasing need for specialists in this field.

Rubens y la artritis reumatoidea / Rubens and rheumatoid arthritis

El estudio de las pinturas barrocas, especialmente las de origen flamenco, permiten evidenciar en algunas de sus figuras signos físicos sugestivos de enfermedad. Peter Paul Rubens constituye uno de los máximos representantes de esta corriente artística. Se cree que Rubens padeció artritis reumatoidea (AR) y que retrató el desarrollo y progresión de su propia enfermedad en varias obras de arte. Este artículo relata brevemente la vida de Rubens y describe algunos de sus trabajos centrados en la figura humana con alteraciones articulares que podrían corresponder a una AR

The study of baroque paintings, especially those of Flemish origin, makes it possible to show in some of their figures physical signs suggestive of disease. Peter Paul Rubens constitutes one of the maximum representatives of this artistic current. It is believed that Rubens suffered from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and that he portrayed the development and progression of his own disease in several works of art. This article briefly recounts Rubens' life and describes some of his works focused on the human figure with joint alterations that could correspond to an AR

Renoir y la artritis reumatoidea / Renoir and rheumatoid arthritis

Renoir constituye uno de los pintores más representativos del movimiento impresionista. Su amplia producción artística centrada en la figura humana muestra su habilidad con el pincel que no se vio limitada por el desarrollo de la Artritis Reumatoide (AR) que lo aquejaba. En esta reseña histórica se repasan aspectos de la vida de Renoir relacionados con la historia natural de la enfermedad y sus estrategias para mitigar el dolor y la limitación funcional que le permitieron continuar produciendo importantes obras de arte

Renoir is one of the most representative painters of the impressionist movement. His extensive artistic production centered on the human figure shows his ability with the brush that was not limited by the development of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) that afflicted him. In this historical review, we inspect aspects of Renoir's life related to the natural history of the disease and its strategies to mitigate pain and functional limitation, which allowed him to continue producing important works of art

Análisis de la oferta de programas de pregrado en medicina en Colombia, durante los últimos 30 años (1980-2010) / Analysis of the supply of medicine undergraduate programs in Colombia, during the past 30 years

La educación superior en Colombia ha sufrido una importante transformación desde diciembre de 1992, cuando entra en vigencia la ley 30. Los programas de educación en ciencias de la salud y en especial los de pregrado en medicina no fueron ajenos a estos cambios y se presentó una proliferación de facultades y escuelas de medicina a lo largo y ancho del país. Las críticas desde diversos sectores no se han hecho esperar y los entes gubernamentales han buscado diversos mecanismos para garantizar la calidad de los procesos de formación y por ende de los futuros médicos. En el presente estudio se analiza la evolución de la oferta de programas de pregrado en Colombia durante los últimos 30 años.

Higher education in Colombia has undergone a major transformation since December of 1992 when the 30 law takes effect. Education programs in health sciences and especially medicine programs were not oblivious to these changes and there was a proliferation of medical schools throughout the country. Were many criticisms from various sectors and government agencies have sought various mechanisms to ensure the quality of training processes and hence of future physicians. In this study we examined the evolution of the offer undergraduate programs in Colombia over the past 30 years.