Letters to the editor: Vocational formation and purposes of medicine (Carta al Editor: La formación profesional y los fines de la medicina)

-FRAGMENT: The current formation of most doctors in Latin America has goals built on the success of a tech and a scientisticmedicine. However, the medicine should be the most human science of the planet. This has led in recent years to raise the true purpose of medicine. Thinking of a separate and independent medicine from political, economic and social pressures which defend their own purposes. They are very alien to the true value of medicine as a science.The Hastings Center brought together representatives from fourteen countries, industrialized and developing countriessome more and some less wealthy. Again questioning the traditional goals of medicine. The group felt that the new goals should be four:1 To prevent illness and injury, and the promotion and preservation of health. The relief of pain and suffering caused by diseases. The Care and the healing of sick people and the care for the incurable people. The avoidance of premature death and the search for a peaceful death.Analyzing these goals, it is convinient to wonder the future priorities in research in our countries. Globalization hasled to shared knowledge, skipping cultural barriers, such as language and distance. The scope of knowledge is available to everyone in every part of the world. However, it is time to consider the use of this knowledge. True political decisions should revolve around the common good, social and individual responsibility, and collective and personal development. The medicine has a key role by providing public health studies. Health research should be a cornerstoneof today’s researchers in order to meet one of the purposes of medicine.-FRAGMENTO: La formación actual de la mayoría de los médicos en América Latina tiene metas apoyadas en el existismo de unamedicina tecnificada y cientificista. Sin embargo, la medicina debería ser una de las ciencias más humanas del planeta.Esto ha llevado en los últimos a os a plantear los verdaderos fines de la medicina, pensando en una medicina autónoma e independiente de presiones políticas, económicas y sociales que defienden sus propios fines, tan ajenos al verdadero valor de la medicina como ciencia.El Hastings Center reunió a representantes de catorce países, industrializados y en vías de desarrollo, unos más yotros menos ricos, a cuestionar de nuevo los fines tradicionales de la medicina. El grupo consideró que los nuevos fines deberían ser cuatro: La prevención de enfermedades y lesiones, y la promoción y la conservación de la salud. El alivio del dolor y el sufrimiento causado por males. La atención y curación de los