Emergency Medicine in México

In the past decade, México, with the third largest population of any country in the Americas, has experienced rapid growth in Emergency Medicine education. Emergency Medicine residency programs began in México City in 1986 and in 1991, spread throughout the country when the Medical Institute of Social Services (IMSS) instituted programs at their specialty hospitals. Although pre-hospital care is still rudimentary in many parts of the country and there are insufficient numbers of trained emergency physicians to staff the nation’s Emergency Departments, the growth of the specialty is helping to improve the quality of medical care in México. This article discusses the current condition of and prospects for Emergency Medicine in México within the context of its medical system, and outlines objectives and guidelines for future developments.