To become a Doctor of Medicine, the strategy used is to pursue a degree at universities, completing a curriculum designed for that purpose, and then completing hospital internships. These students, during these hospital internships, are recognized as undergraduate medical interns. These medical interns join the healthcare team under the supervision and responsibility of qualified physicians. In Latin America, there is no consensus on the criteria for completing this internship, and it varies between universities and countries. Most countries agree that medical internships are the responsibility of the training university, one year, and are not paid as a public employee. A total of seven years of medical training are required to obtain a qualified doctor. Panama differs from the rest of Latin America (medical internships) in that it requires an additional year, is paid as a public employee, and does not involve universities.
