[Activities and strategy of an office or department of medical education].

About eight years ago medical education offices or departments began to be established in the medical and health sciences schools in Latin America. These units have endeavored to solve the problem common to so many of the schools of lack of coordination in activities related to the planning of the various aspects of the teaching/learning process. Many of them have succeeded in doing so and have also been able to interest the university community in the continuing evaluation and improvement of curriculum. The main activities of a medical education office are summarized: educational development (assistance in defining objectives, curriculum organization, teaching methodology, evaluation systems, training of and pedagogical assistance to faculty members); investigation of the factors that enter into the teaching/learning process; and preparation of teaching material and bibliographic information. Clearly the activities of the medical education office or department must be coordinated with those of all the sectors in the school, and it must be open to proposals and suggestions from the entire community.