Introduction:

The training of professionals in the field of medicine is immersed in teaching-learning-assessment processes that depend on the curricular pedagogical model adopted and the epistemological approach of the teacher.

Objective:

Present the current status of the programs of the Postgraduate Courses of High Specialty in Medicine, UNAM, with respect to the international context, and make a comparative analysis.

Method:

Narrative review (Search of scientific literature published in Spanish and English, in databases Medline, Embase and Eric, using the keywords higher medical education, professional competences, learning in medicine and performance evaluation) of curriculum design by competencies. The search strategies were carried out in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and compared with what was developed in the Graduate Courses of High Specialty in Medicine.

Resuls:

The competency models endorsed by the American Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, The Australian Medical Council, the Ministry of Health of China and all the regulatory bodies in the world, report a direct association in the improvement, general performance, patient safety area and improvement in the number of reports of patient safety events, by improving the skills of physicians.

Discussion:

At the international level, an integrating vision has been developed for the development of effective competences; however, there are still challenges to be solved. It is necessary to develop a consensus on generic and specific competences for health systems, which contributes to improving the quality of medical training worldwide.

Conclusion:

It is necessary to rethink the programs of the Postgraduate Courses of High Specialty in Medicine according to our needs for health care and the international context.