Dr. William Duke participates in a national workshop on Curriculum Reform and Redesign in Medical Schools

As part of the International Science Week on Research and Technology organized by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT), the Academic Workshop on Curriculum Reform and Redesign of Medical Schools in the Dominican Republic was held; it featured active participation from Dr. William Duke, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU).

Throughout the workshop, the progress and challenges in implementing medical training concentrated on updated competencies aligned with the needs of both local and global health systems. Topics such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Personalized Medicine, Integrative Medicine, Translational Medicine, and Scientific Research were key parts of the academic discussion.

Similarly, the dedication to align the curricula with the assurance of academic quality and graduate excellence was reaffirmed, following the MESCyT Regulation, Accreditation and Approval Standards of Medical Schools (2023 edition), the Monitoring and Follow-up Manual of the Department of Medical Education, and international standards established by CAAM-HP, the World Federation of Medical Education (WFME), and the comparability standards of the NCFMEA from the U.S. Department of Education.

The workshop was moderated by Dr. Eddy Pérez, then associate dean of research, who introduced the international guest Dr. Mauricio Soto Suazo (Chile), a member of FEPAFEM and the executive secretary of ASOFAMECH. He is also the current president of the scientific committee of COPAEM 2025, which will be held in Quito, Ecuador.

For her part, Maria Miric, M.D., Ph.D., executive director of Two Ocean in Health, delivered a keynote address on medical education and the importance of enhancing research skills in both teachers and students.

The event, held on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at O&M University, gathered leading academics, researchers, and deans from the country’s top medical schools, including PUCMM, UNPHU, UCE, UCATECI, and UNIBE, as well as representatives from international organizations such as FEPAFEM and Two Ocean in Health.