THE CHILEAN ACADEMY OF MEDICINE AND BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH IN CHILE

Abstract

An objective of the Chilean Academy of Medicine is to contribute to developing scientific research in Medicine and Public Health, in Chile. This article reviews, selects, and defines the main characteristics of scientific research in Medicine and Public Health, its development in our country, and the involvement of the Chilean Academy of Medicine in its support. The funding sources of scientific research appear to be similar in most countries. Still, data recently analyzed by the US National Academy of Medicine reveals important differences in the size of government-provided resources (according to gross domestic product), those provided by pharmaceutical companies, and others. In 1974 the Chilean Academy of Medicine created an Annual Prize, mainly honorific, to investigators who sustain lines of research relevant to the progress of clinical medicine and public health. The Academy has also performed studies on the productivity of scientific publications by national investigators and has organized meetings with external experts to study and propose solutions in topics relevant to scientific development and improvement in public health. All these actions are published on the institutional web page, in social media, in its yearly Bulletin, and Revista Médica de Chile. Recently, the Secretary of Health called to set up a permanent Advisory Committee to select initiatives that may help to solve upcoming problems in clinical medicine and public health: the Chilean Academy of Medicine will be represented by two members.