Quality management in the medical career at the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil

Abstract

Introduction: Quality management in medical training is a strategic challenge for universities, aligned with the standards of the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), the national criteria of the Council for Quality Assurance in Higher Education of Ecuador (CACES), and institutional policies. However, in the Medical School at the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil (UCSG), structural weaknesses are perceived in the effective integration of these frameworks into the training process.
Objective: To characterize the initial state of quality management in medical training in the Medical School at UCSG, as a basis for future improvement strategies.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, mixed-approach study with documentary analysis, surveys, interviews with key stakeholders, and a SWOT analysis. WFME standards, the CACES evaluation model, and the guidelines of the UCSG Evaluation and Quality Assurance Directorate (DEAC) were considered.
 Results: There are evident limitations in the systematization of previous experiences, low participation of teachers and students in quality assurance processes, and limited operational use of external evaluation results. The SWOT analysis revealed internal weaknesses related to the quality culture and external threats linked to regulatory rigidity.
Results: Limitations in the systematization of experiences, low faculty and student participation in quality assurance processes, and limited operational use of external evaluation results were evident. The SWOT analysis revealed internal weaknesses related to the culture of quality and external threats linked to regulatory rigidity.
Conclusions: The initial diagnosis indicates the need to strengthen the institutional culture of quality and develop a contextualized management methodology, articulating international, national, and institutional standards to improve medical training at the UCSG.