TOXINOLOGY AS A SUBJECT IN UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE COURSES

BARRAVIERA, B.(1)

(1)Professor Titular do Departamento de Doenças Tropicais da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu – UNESP.

Clinical Toxinology is the study of envenoming by bacterial, plant, and animal toxins. It is, therefore, a new concept in Public Health. For many years, it has been exclusive to specialist Institutes and not part of most medical schools curricula in this country. It has recently been introduced as a discipline in Tropical Diseases. In this way, Toxinology has gained relevance in some medical schools, in both undergraduate and graduate courses. Here in Botucatu, Toxinology has been part of the curriculum since 1965, it is taught from the fourth year onwards. In 1993, it was also included in the Tropical Diseases graduation course. Students who graduate from Botucatu Medical School have been prepared to treat envenomed patients. Nowadays, with the continuing expansion of scientific knowledge, some topics are being omitted, and once again, Toxinology could be one of the first subjects to go from these graduation courses. The only alternative to make all the subjects fit into the current curriculum is to build faster systems for knowledge transference. This requires a simple unique solution - the combination of printed matter, video, CD-ROM, and Internet.

CORRESPONDENCE TO:

BARRAVIERA, B., Departamento de Doenças Tropicais da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu – Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brasil, Email: bbarraviera@laser.com.br