Medical Education in Costa Rica. From Flexner to COVID-19: Integrative Answers for Old and New Challenges

This monograph describes key aspects of medical education in a middle-income country such as Costa Rica, with an emphasis on public education. The main strengths and challenges of our curriculum are presented, as well as some recently implemented modernization measures to address the challenges described. Special attention is given to simulation training in medicine to promote systematic and integrative medical education in a problem-solving context. The SPICES model of educational strategies is used as a paradigm for curricular analysis. Finally, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student, faculty, and staff acceptance of the curriculum modernization measures introduced is briefly discussed.