[A conceptual approach to acquiring graduate/professional health science skills].

OBJECTIVE A literature review was made to construct a proposal regarding the concept of competences-based learning in higher education. METHODS The pertinent literature published in Spanish and English in databases such as Medline, Redalyc, SciELO and Academic Google, as well as material in the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, reference centers and books was searched using keywords. The data was classified and organized according to theme, subtheme and chronology. RESULTS A constructivist approach was adopted to the conceptual development of competences-based learning in higher education since the mid-twentieth century, borrowing from different disciplines. European, Latin-American and Colombian authors' concepts were compiled to form a concept of higher education competences (what they are, what they are used for, where they are developed and used and how they are expressed) and graduate/professional competences. CONCLUSIONS A student develops different competences having different levels of complexity and depth when being educated. Academic competences match professional competence (generic and specific) during a student's undergraduate and graduate studies and continue to develop throughout his/her professional life. A graduate become competent when he/she can act and perform autonomously in resolving real problems of varying complexity and can interact effectively with others to improve his/her quality of life and that of others.