Teaching of Clinical Propaedeutics and Medical Semiology: a systematization of experiences from the Cuban School of Santiago de Cuba

Abstract

Introduction: the teaching of Clinical Propaedeutics and Medical Semiology is a cornerstone of diagnostic reasoning and the doctor-patient relationship, although it faces challenges posed by new technologies. Materials and Methods: a systematization of pedagogical experiences was carried out over more than twenty years (2000-2024) at the Faculty of Medical Sciences No. 2 of Santiago de Cuba, through the review of institutional documents, texts on Cuban semiology, and the Scopus, PubMed and SciELO databases. Results: seventeen practical guidelines for teaching anamnesis and physical examination were systematized, based on the scientific-methodological conception proposed by the founding masters, in the scenarios of ward rounds, case discussion and medical on-call duty, which ensured assimilation of content, development of practical skills and consolidation of clinical reasoning in decision-making, under the supervision of the tutor. The model is articulated to the teaching-learning process in the area of clinical sciences. Discussion: the legacy of the Cuban School of Semiology of Santiago de Cuba, grounded in the clinical method as an essential diagnostic process for practical medicine, the doctor-patient relationship and clinical reasoning, remains valid in the face of technological advances and aligns with contemporary pedagogical trends that advocate hybrid models and the development of clinical competencies. Conclusions: the systematization confirms the validity of the formative model, whose guidelines guarantee the progressive development of clinical skills in students. It is reaffirmed that medical semiology constitutes knowledge irreplaceable by technology and that its transmission to new generations is an inescapable ethical-pedagogical duty.