The dean of the Faculty of Medicine of La Plata (UNLP) was re-elected this Friday for a new period after offering a strange “concession”: committed to the students -and in writing- to resume face-to-face in the dictation of classes that continues to be suspended in more than 80% of the chairs, since the quarantine by Covid began.
In this way, the doctor Juan Angel Basualdo Farjat will be able to continue in charge of the academic unit for the period 2022-2026. The meeting of the Board of Directors was held in full holiday of Good Friday because two previous attempts had failed, last Monday and Wednesday.
Medicine maintains the classrooms and corridors of the building built on one of the sides of the Bosque de la Plata, since March 20, 2020, when a Government DNU ordered Mandatory Preventive Social Isolation (ASPO) as a preventive measure against the pandemic that threatened the world.
Two years and a month later, although the restrictions on all activities were lifted at all educational levels and the use of a chinstrap or mask is even optional in primary and secondary schools in the province, Medicine maintains 50% capacity in the classrooms. It only enabled practices in the “clinical” chairs. And only for practical work.
The situation caused claims and proposals of students and teachers. And it was reflected in the polls: the dean lost with its list in graduates and had 40% of blank votes in teachers. The student group that accompanies the conduction lost more than 1,500 votes in relation to the last vote and almost ran out of the Student Center.
Juan Basualdo Farjat, Dean of Medicine of La Plata. Photo: Mauricio Nievas
That’s why they imposed a “Terms and Conditions” to support Basualdo in his re-election. On Wednesday after the failed second session, the dean – now re-elected – signed an act in which he promised to comply with that list of demands.
According to the document you accessed Clarion, includes demands from all sectors of the faculty: students request face-to-face classes with professors; They complain about the “lack of teaching staff and classrooms” assigned to the commissions.
In a section of the document, the representatives of the student body tell the directors of the faculty: “We are concerned about how will it affect our training as future health professionals “, the virtuality regime that was maintained in 2020 and 2021.
The UNLP Faculty of Medicine, without face-to-face classes.
And that until now is maintained for 2022: virtuality in all the subjects of the Nutrition, Obstetrics and Nursing careers. At least the first quarter. Also in most Medicine subjects, with the exception of “clinical” ones.
“We have the obligation, responsibility and vocation to recover lost knowledge, generate abilities and skills, know how to perform an anamnesis, semiological maneuvers and generate professional-patient links,” the students ask the dean.
With the agreement signed, the student body representatives sat on the council and voted for Basualdo. That endorsement, plus the 7 teachers and a non-teacher, allowed him to access the second term. The statute requires having two thirds of the total (there are 16 directors) to be re-elected. And simple majority (9 votes) for those who are running for the first time.
Almost deserted corridors in the Faculty of Medicine of the UNLP.
The National University of La Plata (UNLP) has 17 faculties, 110 thousand students enrolled and more than 100 degree courses. They are all working – at least – with a “bimodal” format. “The trend throughout the university is to regularize all activities,” they maintain in the Rector’s Office. More than 80,000 young people make noise and attend the classrooms of the university campuses. Except aspiring doctors, nurses, nutritionists and obstetricians. They continue – still – with virtuality.
the swerve
The faculty configured a sharp swerve in its admission regime. Until 2015, between 350 and 500 students entered the first year per year, because there was a severe restrictive admission course. With a severe general examination after a two-month course, at least 70% of the applicants were excluded.
They were the recognized “massive blows of Medicine”. that system was suspended in December 2015 and two years later the authorities who managed the academic unit for more than 20 years were displaced by a political group with the support of Peronist sectors led by Basualdo.
Then, it went to an access of 5,700 students in 2018; 6,800 in 2019; 8,100 in 2020 and 8,300 in 2021. The Faculty had to adapt with a notable increase in teachers (for the first years) and new agreements with healthcare authorities for hospital training at the end of the degree.
“The infrastructure was prepared for 400-600 per year and now more than 8,000 have signed up,” is one of the official arguments. The building capacity problems are included in the “specification” signed by the new dean at the request of the students.
“We need the use of 100% of the venues, of the classroom spaces, without capacity, and in all time bands. We need to expand the equipment of the chairs and with the same access for all races”, they wrote in the list.
compliance would be imminent. In the student center they believe that on April 26, when the school cycle is scheduled to resume from the second year onwards, the requirements would already be met.
In the deanery they did not explain how they would do it. Nor why did they keep the educational institution closed almost as in the most severe stage of the coronavirus quarantine.
La Plata (Correspondent)
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