CONTRIBUTION OF PROFESSOR ROA,ARMANDO TO HUMANITIES AND MEDICAL-ETHICS AT THE UNIVERSITY-OF-CHILE SCHOOL-OF-MEDICINE

Dr. Roa was the first professor of the Faculty of Medicine of the Univ ersity of Chile to give an ethics course to medical students, even whe n the importance of formal teaching of medical ethics was not yet reco gnized internationally. His efforts contributed to the creation of the Center for Bioethical and Humanistic Studies in 1988 and to the creat ion of official ethics courses for first and sixth year medical studen ts in 1993. During 20 years, he chaired the Ethics Committee of the Fa culty of Medicine of the University of Chile. He also promoted a diffu sion program about medical ethics through meetings, conferences and sy mposia. He was responsible for the Ministry of Health's decision to cr eate ethics committees in public hospitals in 1988 and for the Preside ntial decision about organ transplantation in 1995. He carried out ant hropology courses and gave numerous lectures on humanistic aspects of medicine. His ethical principles are resumed in what he called the ''e thics of generosity'', in which the dignity of human beings is respect ed above all. In his opinion, the way civilizations see goodwill has b een preponderant in the course of history. The recent proposal to teac h humanistic fundamentals to medical students is a tribute to the memo ry of Professor Roa.