- While in the 2019 edition just over 9 thousand places were offered, for 2010 it increased to 19 thousand.
- A recent innovation was to offer a thousand scholarships to study a specialty in Cuba.
- The authorities have not yet disclosed the number of places that the ENARM 2022 will have.
Professional improvement causes thousands of young people to continue their studies after graduating from university. Some through master’s degrees and others prefer to study a specialty. But although this second option is one of the most common, the biggest problem is that the National Examination of Applicants for Medical Residencies (ENARM) offers very few plazas.
As a result of the above, only a minority of those who present the exam get a place. Sometimes not even a high score is enough to achieve the dream of take a specialty.
Exponential increase recorded in recent dates
On this issue, the head of the Ministry of Health (SSa), Jorge Alcocer, said that in recent years the problem has been combated. As an example, he said that in 2019, 9,480 places were offered, while for 2020 the figure was 19,480 in 2020.
Much remains to be done, but he noted that progress is being made in the right direction. He furthermore added that the goal is to reach 27 thousand 449 in 2030.
Why was the health system neglected?
He specified that this situation was the result of the dismantling since the 1980s when the health system was reformed through which the model that displaced public medicine was implemented.
While the Popular insurance complemented that model by separating financing from service provision with the intention of accelerating private participation in what was considered the health market. In addition, enrollment in schools decreased. Only in the Faculty of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) it went from between six and eight thousand students to only one thousand, of which 250 finished.
Given the above, an emergency that is already being attended to is the increase in places in the ENARM. In addition, other modalities have been added, such as scholarships to study a specialty abroad.
In 2020, this benefit began thanks to the collaboration of the National Council for Science and Technology (Conacyt) and the Ministry of Public Education (SEP). Although one of the most common complaints of young people is that the only option available is Cuba.
As a result of the above, most of those who get the scholarship reject it. Now what is requested is to reach agreements with other nations. In addition, scholarships are only available for some specialties and not for all those offered by the exam.
For now, although the increase in places in the ENARM is expected to continue, the Secretary of Health did not delve into the figure that is planned to be offered this year. Although it is expected to be greater than the 20 thousand spaces that were given in 2021.