title: [Virtual Patients and Medical Teaching].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Biomedical advancements have evolved to the point where teaching software may be implemented to represent real-life scenarios.
  
  
  METHODS
  Virtual Patients or VPs are software programs that simulate clinical scenarios allowing students to generate a diagnosis and make treatment decisions. In this article, advantages and disadvantages regarding the use of this state-of-the-art technology are discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VP is a useful technique for psychiatry students.
authors.affiliation: Médico psiquiatra. Psicoanalista, psiquiatra de enlace, epidemiólogo clínico, y profesor titular, Departamento de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, y director, Departamento de Epidemiología Clínica y Bioestadística, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Bogotá, Colombia. Electronic address: cgomez@javeriana.edu.co.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gómez-Restrepo
authors.affiliation: Médica general, Asistente de Investigación, Departamento de Epidemiología Clínica y Bioestadística, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Bogotá, Colombia.
authors.forename: Yamile Reveiz
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Narváez
keywords: Patient simulation; Simulación de paciente; aprendizaje; educación superior; higher education; learning; simulación; simulation