USS and Bupa Chile Enter into Strategic Partnership to Train the Next Generation of Healthcare Professionals

The agreement, which has an initial term of 10 years, establishes clinical training opportunities for USS healthcare students across Bupa Chile’s network, including the creation of a Robotic Surgery Center and Medical Specialty Programs that will enhance students’ education and contribute to higher-quality patient care.

To strengthen the connection between the education of future healthcare professionals and high-quality patient care, Universidad San Sebastián (USS) and Bupa Chile have entered into a long-term academic-clinical partnership that will provide state-of-the-art training for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The agreement also promotes regional development through collaborative clinical and academic research, innovation, and community engagement initiatives.

More than 1,000 students from 11 USS healthcare undergraduate programs will benefit from completing their clinical placements within Bupa Chile’s healthcare network. Bupa Chile is part of Bupa (British United Provident Association), one of the world’s leading international healthcare groups, with more than 75 years of experience and operations in over 190 countries and territories.

The agreement has an initial term of 10 years and was signed during a ceremony held at Bupa Clínica Santiago, where leaders from both institutions participated in a panel discussion titled “Innovation and the Future of Healthcare Professional Education.”

State-of-the-Art Technology

The partnership provides USS students enrolled in all healthcare undergraduate programs—including Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery, Dentistry, Kinesiology (Physical Therapy), Medical Technology, Nutrition and Dietetics, and Psychology, among others—with access to Bupa Chile’s healthcare network. This network includes more than 5,000 physicians across Bupa Clinics in Santiago, Reñaca, and Antofagasta, as well as 35 IntegraMédica outpatient medical centers.

Among the partnership’s key initiatives are the creation of the Bupa–USS Robotic Surgery Center, featuring a robotic surgical platform at Bupa Clínica Santiago, and advanced training opportunities through the LINK USS Center for Advanced Clinical Simulation.

Comprehensive Education

Javier Valenzuela, Interim Rector of Universidad San Sebastián (USS), said: “This partnership brings together the academic excellence of our University with a leading clinical network and state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, ensuring that our students receive a comprehensive education that combines technical excellence with a strong commitment to ethical, human-centered care. Furthermore, Bupa’s international network will help strengthen USS’s development in healthcare education. The Robotic Surgery Center and the Medical Specialty Programs that we will develop together represent a significant step forward in the education of future healthcare professionals.”

Rafael Córdova, CEO of Bupa Chile, added: “The education and training of healthcare professionals are essential to the sustainability of the healthcare system. Through this partnership, we are opening our healthcare network—one that reflects the country’s diversity in both patient volume and clinical complexity—to provide students with broad, real-world clinical experience and help prepare professionals to meet today’s healthcare challenges. At the same time, the partnership strengthens innovation, applied research, and the integration of new technologies into clinical practice at Bupa. Together, we are contributing to more human-centered, higher-quality healthcare.”

Research and Community Engagement

The agreement also includes the development of Medical Specialty Programs. In addition, both institutions will collaborate on joint clinical research projects, community health and sustainability initiatives, advanced simulation training for Bupa clinical teams through the LINK USS Center for Advanced Clinical Simulation, and clinical and academic exchange opportunities within Bupa’s global network.

The partnership also reinforces both institutions’ commitment to protecting patients’ rights and ensuring compliance with protocols for the prevention of harassment, discrimination, and violence, while safeguarding sensitive information and ensuring compliance with all applicable regulations.