Nelson Adolfo López Garzón, a professor in the Medicine program at the Faculty of Health Sciences and a member of the Health Research Group (GIS), discusses his doctoral research on training doctors who understand and respect the beliefs and practices of diverse communities. The integration of traditional and allopathic medicine in medical training, from an intercultural perspective, presents a significant but essential challenge for more inclusive and respectful healthcare.

Nelson Adolfo López Garzón, an associate professor at the Universidad del Cauca and a member of the Health Research Group (GIS), presented in his doctoral research the professional training process that involves an approach requiring the validation of ancestral knowledge that has been historically marginalized and an openness to new ways of understanding health, which encompass the balance between body, mind, and environment.

"Training doctors who understand and respect the beliefs and practices of diverse communities, without prejudice, allows the creation of a healthcare system that not only treats diseases but also values each patient holistically within their cultural context, promoting more accessible and comprehensive healing for all. Medical training, in its intercultural approach, requires a restructuring of the curriculum to include not only allopathic medicine but also recognition of traditional medical practices."

Thus, Professor Nelson Adolfo López Garzón presents his doctoral research titled “Educational Complexities in Medical Training, from Traditional and Allopathic Medicines, a Perspective from Interculturality,” which seeks to determine and unveil the educational complexities in medical training, from both traditional and allopathic medicines. This research establishes the categories of Health, Interculturality, and Education, and the subcategories of Medical Training and Cultural Diversity, aiming to construct a problem based on the geographical context of Cauca, which has a significant indigenous, Afro-descendant, and mestizo population.

view file https://bibliotecadigital.usb.edu.co/entities/publication/115534fe-e6c5-...

Nelson Adolfo López Garzón is an Internal Medicine Physician, Nuclear Cardiologist, with a specialization in Echocardiography. He also holds a Master's in Education and a Doctorate in Education, which allows him to integrate his medical knowledge with advanced pedagogical approaches. His academic and professional work focuses on research and education in the health field, contributing to the development of new methodologies and practices for training future doctors and health professionals. The Colombian Association of Internal Medicine has highlighted the opportunity to publish the article from his doctoral thesis.

“The results obtained from the students conclude the importance of the intercultural context in medical training, integrating traditional and allopathic medical knowledge, with the support of native health workers and personnel, to achieve better doctor-patient relationships and provide quality primary healthcare for the communities of Cauca,” concludes the Professor in his research conducted with 72 undergraduate students and 8 postgraduate students in Internal Medicine.

Written by: Communications Management Center