History of Latin American Dermatology

The future of Dermatology in Latin Americaprograms. The syllabuses will have to include and stress the most important clinicalproblems that the student will find in his or her daily practice, since the extensive contentsstudied in old courses facilitate learning by rote but not the understanding of themedical problem 7 .As a consequence of new technologies, in the future, skin infections and parasitoses willhave a definitive solution with the appropriate prevention, with new vaccines and drugs. Atthe same time, the increase in dermatoses of senior patients, caused by greater longevity,as well as by the increase in the population over 80 years of age, must be foreseen 8 .Dermatology in Latin America■ Dermatology in Latin AmericaThe proliferation of Dermatology schools will yield a surplus of specialists in the nearfuture — as is already happening in some countries — which will have different consequences:firstly, it will make it necessary to set rules to restrict the training of an excessivenumber of dermatologists; at the same time, dermatological care will reach a largernumber of people. Nevertheless, in most countries, a trend towards the concentration ofspecialists in the large urban centers is also taking place, bringing with it an uneven distribution,for which an adequate solution will have to be sought 9 . Likewise, the technologiesthat are typical of countries of the more developed world will also become partof the routine of Latin American countries, a phenomenon that will go hand-in-hand withsocioeconomic development. However, we cannot leave aside the influence of the politicalmovements of the future and the consequences inherent to their zeal to provide morewell-being and improve health services in each country for the entire population to haveaccess to an appropriate health and pension plan, but which could lead to the developmentof mere health businesses.Risks faced by Dermatology in Latin America■ Risks faced by Dermatology in Latin AmericaIt is possible to foresee that the free trade treaties will elicit fundamental changes inthe income of Latin Americans, depending on their contribution to making the economyof their respective countries viable. If the region operates as a solid economic block, withcoherent ideas and joint actions, without competitively destroying our neighbors, allianceswill be tightened to strengthen our economies, generating more employment andbetter consumer goods that will raise the quality of life of our fellow countrymen. But ifthe challenge is met in a disorderly manner, offering exaggerated advantages in exchangefor inferior benefits, we will cancel the possibilities of a harmonic developmentwith benefits for the parties involved.Contained within this context is the supply of services, an aspect that is better handledby the more industrialized countries owing to their through knowledge of the areaand because of the volumes they handle, with the adjustment of operational costs to behighly competitive. What has happened with communications technology could be replicatedin the technology of health, which could become one more business to which themost powerful and those who have more experience in the international health businesswould have access. Dermatology also belongs to this group. Thus, it is likely that we willhave foreign multinationals managing our health under the conditions that they want toimpose on us.Another risk for Dermatology in our countries is the proliferation of dermatologistsdevoted to skin cosmetics and aesthetics. The lack of opportunities in the medical area,the “surplus” of dermatologists — due to the inability of our economies to absorb them— and other, no less important factors, will make those who have skills in cosmetic445