Education in public health, epidemiology and biostatistics in Spain from a global and comparative perspective.

Abstract

In 2006, it was questioned whether epidemiology is a scientific discipline or just the scientific method used in public health.Among the issues raised was the following: how is an epidemiologist trained? The Ley General de Sanidad of 1986 and subsequent royal decrees and amendments on specialised medical training in 1996 and 20052 established the requirement to complete a master’s degree in public health for doctors training to specialise in preventive medicine and public health. This master’s degree was to be developed in educational institutions linked to the Health Administration. Some of these institutions sought synergies with universities to achieve the recognition of these master’s degrees as at least a Titulo Propio, meaning a university-specific degree that is not recognised as official according to the Spanish regulations and therefore gives neither access to doctoral degrees3 nor international recognition by other European countries. Thus, the master’s in public health fell outside the legislative framework of formal university education, as also happens with the postgraduate training in epidemiology and some of the degrees in biostatistics in Spain.