Julio Mayol.
The medical director of the San Carlos Clinical Hospital, Julius Mayolhas been named professor of surgery in Physiopathology and Surgical Propaedeutics and Surgical Pathology of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). In an interview with Medical Writingreviews his career, the new challenges that are open to him and the current situation regarding Medicine and training in health sciences.
Regarding this last aspect, it stands out that “there is no difference between the scientific-technical capacity and knowledge between Spanish doctors and any other part of the world”, and more specifically, Europe and the United States. “The difference is how we organize ourselves to be able to carry out our healthcare,” she explains. “Compared to neighboring countries, salaries in Spain are low“, which allows, in his opinion, “that our system is very efficientbecause it manages to produce a lot and of very good quality at a fairly low personnel cost”.
However, Mayol warns that this situation “has enormous risks for the future”, as it causes what is known as ‘escape from white coats’. “There is a long-term impact, because the professionals who go to other countries settle down and then it is very difficult to make them come back”. Thus, he has stressed that without adequately financing training, education and research “the system is not going well”.
On his appointment as professor, the also medical director of the San Carlos Clinical Hospital maintains that it was “the place towards which I oriented my career”. “This It opens up opportunities for me to be able to do my teaching activity even more and dedicate myself more to the training and education of the new generations of doctors and surgeons in our university”, he assures.
He regrets, however, that he had to experience such a sweet moment in his career, since it was a childhood dream to get where he has, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Making a childhood dream come true at such a difficult time leaves me with a bittersweet feeling”indicates.
Global Surgery and Social Media, the global network of surgeons
Regarding the future, Julio Mayol is clear about what his challenge will be for the next ten years: to strengthen the network Global Surgery and Social Media. It is an international initiative launched by surgeons, anesthesiologists and other health professionals to advance ‘global surgery’. It is a network of professionals who share their knowledge.
In this context, social networks have made it possible to connect students, residents and surgeons at different stages of training, “regardless of distance, borders or differences in time, language or culture”. By eliminating the hierarchy, “communication flows have been enriched”. In fact, says Mayol, “surgical knowledge is omnipresent. It’s really shared and distributed globally today.”
Julio Mayol’s career
Graduated with an outstanding degree in Medicine by the Faculty of Medicine of the Complutense University of Madrid in 1988. Doctor of medicine and surgery unanimously qualified cum laude in 1992 with the doctoral thesis “General study of laparoscopic cholecystectomy”. He is a university specialist in laparoscopic surgery at the UCM. Master in Health Services Management from the Complutense University of Madrid.
He did his residency in General and Digestive Surgery at the Hospital Clínico San Carlos and the Beth Israel Hospital in Boston 1991-1995. Research Fellow in Surgery at Harvard Medical School, 1996-1997.
He is also a full professor of Surgery at the Complutense University of Madrid, Head of the General and Digestive Surgery Section at the San Carlos Clinical Hospital in Madrid, Visiting Professor of the Department of Surgery at Wayne State University, Detroit-USA, European expert in therapy of the EMEA, member of the American Gastroenterological Association and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, member of the editorial board of the World Journal of Gastroenterology and the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology, author or co-author of more than 40 international articles.
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