Jose Ángel Fernández Sacasas

Internal medicine physician, professor of professors.

He was born in Manzanillo, in the former province of Oriente, now Granma. He completed his primary studies in his native city and later graduated as a Bachelor from the Secondary Education Institute. He traveled to the capital to begin his medical studies, but this beginning was postponed due to the closure of the University in 1956.

With the triumph of the Revolution, he began his university studies in 1959. During his studies he worked as a teaching assistant in Clinical Propedeutics.

He graduated in 1965, at Pico Turquino, in an emotional ceremony, presided over by the leader of the Revolution, Comandante Fidel Castro.

He completed his Rural Medical Service at the Hospital del Caney de las Mercedes, where he fulfilled the dual role of attending physician and hospital director. In 1967 he worked for a short time at the Provincial Hospital of Santiago de Cuba. That same year he joined Cuba's delegation to the Montreal World's Fair in Canada, where he spent 7 months. Ending the year, he continued his work as a physician at the Municipal Hospital of Nueva Gerona, until 1968.

In 1968 he began his Internal Medicine Residency at the Joaquín Albarrán and La Covadonga hospitals, serving as an Instructor responsible for teaching 3rd and 4th year medical students and Medical Interns.

In 1970, almost completing his Residency, he joined the Cuban medical brigade that traveled to Peru in solidarity aid following the earthquake that affected that sister nation. That same year he obtained the title of First-Degree Specialist in Internal Medicine.

Between 1970 and 1973, in addition to his teaching and clinical work, he held the positions of Vice-Director of Medicine and Chief of the Medicine Service at La Covadonga Hospital, distinguishing himself through his performance, his pedagogical mastery, and his dedication to his work.

His brilliant intelligence, extensive knowledge, skill in interviewing and examining patients, as well as great sensitivity to others' suffering, made him a model physician for pre- and post-graduate students to follow.

In December 1972 he was part of the medical brigade that traveled to Nicaragua due to the earthquake that devastated that Central American brother nation.

In 1973 he was tasked with assuming the provincial vice-directorship of medical care in Havana, and in 1974 he was entrusted with founding, together with Professor Mario Escalona and other faculty members, a new model of medical care, teaching, and research in the community, which was inaugurated at the Alamar Teaching Polyclinic, where he served as Professor and Vice-Director of Teaching. During this period, he also worked as Vice-Dean of Teaching at the Faculty of Medicine No. 1.

From 1976 he was an Assistant and the following year achieved the teaching rank of Associate Professor. In 1979 he took on the task of founding and serving as Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences "Miguel Enríquez", where he developed intense organizational and teaching work, combining his position as Dean with clinical and teaching duties. In 1983 he achieved the Second Degree in Internal Medicine specialty and in 1984 he obtained, through competitive examination, the teaching rank of Full Professor.

In 1987 he was promoted to Vice-Rector of Teaching, a position in which he developed excellent work as an organizer of pre-graduate education, participating in the improvement of medical career study programs and various disciplines and courses. In 1997 he assumed the position of President of the Scientific Council of ISCM-H.

In his constant desire to learn in order to teach better, he has received numerous courses and training, and completed a Master's degree in Higher Medical Education, of which he is a member of the Academic Committee and professor since 1998.

He has traveled to 22 countries, some on more than one occasion, in various capacities, such as member of medical aid brigades, training, exchanges, consultancies, as a professor and attendee at Congresses and scientific events. He has been Professor of the Master's in Medical Education in Bolivia and Brazil and Honorary Guest Professor at the Universidad Científica del Sur in Lima, Peru.

He has participated in more than 30 workshops, taught more than 40 post-graduate courses, and has supervised more than 30 theses for residency completion or master's degrees.

He has participated in more than 100 national scientific events and 50 international events related to health and medical education, where he has presented more than 150 papers and lectures.

He has published more than 70 scientific works in national and international medical journals, is co-author of 6 textbooks, and is author or co-author of more than 30 methodological documents, study programs for the medical career, discipline, and courses.

Since 2009 he has served as Principal Advisor and Member of the National Commission for the Improvement of the Medical Career, Methodological Advisor for the Bachelor's degrees in Nursing and Health Technology, and Member of the National Homologation Commission of MINSAP.

For years he was part of the Governing Boards of the Cuban Societies of Internal Medicine and Health Sciences Educators, in the former as a Member and in the latter he held the Presidency for two terms.

He has been a member of the Editorial Committees of 6 National Scientific Journals.

For his evident contributions, he has received numerous and well-deserved decorations and distinctions, among which stand out:
Hipólito Unanue Order, granted by the Peruvian Government (1970)
Playa Girón Commemorative Medal (1981)
Internationalist Mission Diploma (1984)
Manuel Fajardo Medal (1990)
José Tey Medal (1993)
Frank País Medal (1997)
"Honor to Merit" Diploma from FCM M. Enríquez (2003)
Diploma for Excellence in Teaching the Clinical Method SOCES-UCM Villa Clara (2011)

Founder of higher medical education in three institutions, a prominent figure in medicine and education in Cuba, he has dedicated his professional life to medical care and teaching. Under his guidance and example, several generations of physicians and specialists have been trained, who always remember him with respect, admiration, and gratitude.