The period of the Social Service for the Degree in Medicine is performed for twelve continuous months, with two promotions; one that starts in February and the other in August each year.
- Contribute to the development of the country, the preservation of the people's health, providing services which are professional and with humanistic quality.
- Contribute to the development of the community especially in rural, marginalized urban areas and those with greater lack of health services, promoting the realization of advocacy for health, prevention, direct assistance, education and research for health.
Clinical fields for social service are of three types:
- Type "A" in care units for an urban population of more than 15,000 inhabitants of lower economic and social development. Part-time no scholarship or minimum scholarship: 5-6 days a week, with four hours per day schedule, only for cases of emergency as interns with health problems or federal workers interns.
- Type "B" in care units for a concentrated rural population of 2,500 to 15,000 inhabitants. Full time with minimum scholarship; 6 days a week with a schedule of 8 hours for consultation and field activities.
- Type "C" in auxiliary units of health for rural population dispersed, in mobile units for a scattered population of hard access and care units dispersed for a population of 1,000 to 2,500 inhabitants. Exclusive time with scholarship, six days a week with one day of rest, schedule of 8 hours for care, consultation, 24 hours a day emergency care and field activities.
The units are health centers scattered nationwide. That should include a minimum infrastructure needed for this type of care; they are equipped with basic services such as water, electricity, and sanitary facilities. It is guaranteed that there will be a room to live for the Physician doing their social service (MPSS for its acronym in Spanish SUPPORT).
Social Service can be done in three different areas:
In the rural area
Constitutes the priority of social service, in dispersed rural populations and some of the concentrated population of very high marginality and difficult access, scholarship type "C," exclusive time (24 hrs) and may be in a mobile unit, auxiliary health or rural health dispersed center.
In research (National Program of Social Service in Research)
The formation of human resources for research is an essential investment for the autonomous development of a country. It is necessary to strengthen the scientific and technological system of the Health Sector to achieve a better quality of care through the training of human resources engaged in these tasks. This program has the following objectives:
- Promote medical students to join research projects since the early stages so they may become researchers.
- Encourage interest in the new generations of graduates of medicine in research, either as essential, or coupled with activity to its professional performance.
- Lead to new generations of physicians to develop increased interest by studying masters and doctoral degrees.
The MPSS support projects must comply with the following requirements:
- Be a part of a line of research (Basic, clinical or epidemiological).
- The activities planned for the research should be viable to be developed during the year of social service.
In specific programmes of the Social Service:
Vinculación / Plazas Universitarias
This type of program is made up of vacancies which are promoted by the educational institution, whose projects must be reviewed and evaluated by the General Directorate of Quality and Education in Health of the Ministry of health, complying with the regulations and recommendations of the inter-agency Commission for the Formation of Human Resources for Health (CIFRHS for its acronym in Spanish). Such programs are referred to in the catalog of vacancies for the institution and are chosen in accordance with the grade point average obtained in their career.
Sickness or disease
This type of vacancy is granted exclusively to MPSS support with health problems. The procedure is performed upon request to the educational institution with 90 days prior to the start of the service.
For workers in the service of the Federation
This type of job placement is exclusive to those MPSS support who work in the service of the Federation. The procedure is performed upon request to the educational institution with 90 days prior to the beginning of the service.