Training proposals for health science students through journalistic texts

Objective: to describe a collection of journalistic texts of scientific - medical interest and to explore their possible usefulness in the training of medical students. Material and method: texts, mostly published in the newspaper El Pais, related to aspects of medicine have been selected. The collection period was from January 2, 2001 to December 31, 2016 and the selection criteria: allusive title, identifiable author. based on real events and containing a complete story. Agency notes have been discarded. Results: 7688 journalistic texts (480.5 +/- 158.1 per year) were selected, which were distributed in the following sections medicine and health (n = 2001). medicines (n = 1960), science and technology (n = 1933), education (n = 810), sociology (n = 318). terminology (n = 318). humor (n = 226), and letters to the editor (n = 122). These texts have potential educational interest for scientific dissemination, the appropriation of medical terminology, the social context of medicine and the social image of the doctor; to know the public perception of the values of the profession, and to address the teaching development of competences cross-sections of the medical curriculum. Conclusions: journalistic texts contain facts, data, policies and values that can be useful as educational elements for medical students.