State Tests for Higher Education and Medical Education in Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: In Colombia, the state tests for evaluating the quality of higher education programs (Saber Pro) are intended to evaluate the professional knowledge and skills of all students who have completed the majority of credits in their academic programs. Additionally, these tests are a complementary requirement before the rotation internship for graduating as a medical professional. However, there are questions related to their usefulness in the occupational practice and the articulation of these tests with the medical training. Objective: To establish the coherence between the Saber Pro tests and medical education. Methods: A narrative review was carried out by means of a search in PubMed, Ovid, Elsevier, SciELO and the regulations of the Colombian context. Results: According to the search carried out, there is a considerable number of articles that support the application of this test, based on qualitative results related to the adaptation of medical evaluation instruments. Likewise, some sources show the influence that the assessed competences may have, by means of health indicators and other aspects of the national context. Conclusions: Despite the limited number of studies that allow provide quantitative conclusions, there is evidence on the usefulness and coherence of the state test in the national context; likewise, the Saber Pro test is concluded to be able to guarantee quality standards in higher education programs and, with the passage of time, has contributed to the development of recommendations for the transformation of medical education in Colombia. © 2023, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.