SCCOT Chronicles: Fundamentals Part 6. Centro Latinoamericano de Investigación y Entrenamiento en Cirugía de Mínima Invasión (CLEMI): A dream come true

Abstract

A major advance in orthopedics and traumatology in Colombia at the beginning of the 21st century was the creation of the first Latin American multidisciplinary center for training and technological development in minimally invasive surgery [centro multidisciplinario latinoamericano para el entrenamiento y desarrollo tecnológico de la cirugía de mínima invasión], CLEMI. The historical account of the center is described, from its management as a project to the start of its operations. Its architectural area has modern services and facilities for practical work and research in different surgical disciplines. Since 2007, training courses have been offered in various medical-surgical specialties and some veterinary specialties. For its training program, a learning scale was adopted following a pyramidal training sequence distributed across four academic levels. It is supported by several universities, hospitals, and clinics, as well as various scientific societies such as the National Academy of Medicine and Ascofame. Its work has been recognized by important national and international organizations for its teaching, scientific, and research activities.