Abstract
Background: Scientific publication during medical training is key to promote enduring cutting-edge knowledge. The promotion of science among medical students in Latin America is a multi-sphere issue hampered by the unawareness of governments to invest in national research, as well as a lack of support from local universities. This study aims to determine the factors associated with producing a scientific publication during medical training among Latin American medical students of local scientific societies. Methods: This is a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional study initially conducted in 2016 to evaluate the use of information and communications technologies (TICs) among medical students of 40 local scientific societies of medical students affiliated to the Latin American Federation of Medical Students Scientific Societies (FELSOCEM, in Spanish). Teams in each local scientific society surveyed self-reported scientific publications and explored its association with socioeconomic, academic, and research training conditions. We included medical students enrolled in the 2016-I term and excluded medical interns. We implemented nested models to identify covariates associated with self-reported scientific publication until reaching a parsimonious mixed-effect multilevel model clustered by medical scientific society. Results: We surveyed 11,587 medical students. The prevalence of scientific publications increased in 36% among medical students affiliated to a Scientific Society of Medical Students [parsimonious prevalence ratio (PRp)=1.36, 95%CI=1.16-1.59], 51% among medical students with advanced English proficiency [PRp=1.51, 95%CI=1.21 - 1.87], 85% among medical students who attended a scientific writing skills course [PRp=1.85, 95%CI=1.59-2.15], 81% among medical students who use Sci-Hub [PRp=1.81, 95%CI=1.50-2.20], and 108% among medical students who have access to a pirated academic account [PRp=2.08, 95%CI=1.83-2.36]. Conclusions: Producing a scientific publication among medical students is associated with being affiliated to a Scientific Society of Medical Students, English proficiency, training in scientific writing, use of Sci-Hub, and pirated academic accounts.
Highlights
Producing a scientific publication during medical training is key to promote the constant medical training and to encourage students to create cutting-edge knowledge; in this way, students will build-up research skills and critical thinking, and conduct evidence-based practice and patient-centered care with an endured vision to follow a scientific career[1,2,3]
Studies in Colombia and Brazil show that medical students consider scientific research as an important issue of their training and the low scientific production is influenced by the lack of inspirational and committed mentors as role models for the beginning of a scientific career[6,7]
Our study aims to determine the factors associated with scientific publication during medical training, in order to identify the needs of Latin American local scientific societies for the implementation of their continuing education programs in research
Summary
Producing a scientific publication during medical training is key to promote the constant medical training and to encourage students to create cutting-edge knowledge; in this way, students will build-up research skills and critical thinking, and conduct evidence-based practice and patient-centered care with an endured vision to follow a scientific career[1,2,3]. Between 1997 and 2010, there was an increase of 8.4% in student participation in manuscripts published on journals indexed in Scielo-Peru, of whom 42% reported being affiliated to a scientific society of medical students[4,8]. The funding opportunities for medical students are poor in the local medical schools of Peru and in much of Latin America; overall government investment is disproportionately granted to attend local public health priorities with well-implemented laboratories, and full-time research-centered faculties[12]. The promotion of science among medical students in Latin America is a multi-sphere issue hampered by the unawareness of governments to invest in national research, as well as a lack of support from local universities. This study aims to determine the factors associated with producing a scientific publication during medical training among Latin American medical students of local scientific societies.
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