Latin American Medical Students Research Articles

I can't get no satisfaction: Burnout, stress, and depression in Latin medical students.

The state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress, known as Burnout Syndrome (BS), is not only affecting the medical workforce but medical students in training. Gender, race, ethnicity, and potentially other variables can serve as significant risk factors contributing to BS among medical students. Despite the importance of understanding these disparities, very few studies in the U.S. have analyzed race or ethnicity amongst their cohorts. However, there exists extensive information on burnout in students from Latin America, which serves as the primary focus of this review. A systematic literature search was conducted using pertinent terms in English and Spanish. Our review found that the prevalence of BS in Latin American countries varies widely, ranging from 4.3 to 43.90% pre-COVID-19 pandemic. Variability in the educational environment and the complex interplay of cultural, academic, and systemic factors appear to contributing to burnout among students. Post-pandemic investigations reveal even higher prevalences, particularly among women. High rates of depression and anxiety are also reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. The reviewed data showed that BS can become further exacerbated and complicated by existing psychiatric comorbidities amongst Latin American medical students. It is possible that we may observe continued upward trajectories in burnout trends among both healthcare workers and medical students in this post-COVID-19 pandemic era. These insights call for tailored interventions addressing not only burnout but also the interconnected mental health challenges faced by medical students in Latin America.

Anxiety and depression in Latin American medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objetivos: Determinar la frecuencia de depresión y ansiedad en estudiantes de la carrera de medicina de Latinoamérica durante el distanciamiento social en el período de brote del COVID-19.

How much do Latin American medical students know about radiology? Latin-American multicenter cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Background Radiology is a useful tool for diagnosis and intervention in medical practice, and all the components within the teaching-learning process of this subject during undergraduate studies influence successful knowledge application. Objective This study aimed to describe the level of knowledge in radiology of students in the last two years of medical school and curricular characteristics of their courses in seven Latin American countries. Methods A multicenter cross-sectional study was carried out on medical students of 7 Latin American countries (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru) in their final two years of medical school, using an online questionnaire validated by experts and adapted for each country that assessed knowledge and curricular characteristics in radiology subject. Scores were assigned according to the number of correct answers for the knowledge test. The T-test, and regression analysis with one-way ANOVA were used to search for relationships between the level of knowledge and other variables. Results A total of 1514 medical students participated in this study. All countries had similar participation (n > 200); most participants were women 57.8%. The country with the highest knowledge score was Brazil. Male, sixth year (internship) and from public universities students had higher knowledge score (n < 0.05). Participants, who considered radiology more important, and who reported higher compliance with teaching staff with the proposed syllabus, and programmed classes, obtained better scores (n < 0.05). Conclusions Latin American medical students included in this study have a regular overall level of knowledge of Radiology, apparently influenced by curricular differences such as class and academic program compliance. Efforts to better understand and improve academic training are indispensable. Limitations The study was subject to selection bias determined by non-probability convenience sampling. The questionnaire assessed only theoretical knowledge and the evaluation system was designed by the investigators.

Scientific literacy and preferred resources used by Latin American medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multinational survey

Background: This study aims to identify the preferred sources for acquiring knowledge about COVID-19 and to evaluate basic knowledge on critical scientific literature appraisal in students from medical schools located in Spanish speaking countries in Latin America. Methods: We designed an online survey of 15 closed-ended questions related to demographics, preferred resources for COVID-19 training, and items to assess critical appraisal skills. A snowball method was used for sampling. We conducted a descriptive analysis and Chi-squared tests to compare the proportion of correct identification of the concept of a preprint and a predatory journal when considering a) self-perceived level of knowledge, b) public vs private school, c) inclusion of a scientific literature appraisal subject in the curriculum, and d) progress in medical school. Results: Our sample included 770 valid responses, out of which most of the participants included were from Mexico (n=283, 36.8%) and Ecuador (n=229, 29.7%). Participants preferred using evidence-based clinical resources (EBCRs) to learn more about COVID-19 (n=182, 23.6%). The preferred study design was case report/series (n=218, 28.1%). We found that only 265 participants correctly identified the concept of a preprint (34.4%), while 243 students (31.6%) correctly identified the characteristics of a predatory journal. We found no significant differences in the proportion of correct answers regardless of the self-perceived level of knowledge, progress in medical school, or scientific literature critical appraisal classes. Conclusion: This study is novel in its approach of identifying sources of knowledge used by Latin American medical students and provides insights into the need to reinforce training in critical appraisal of scientific literature during medical school.

Poor Knowledge of Acute Mountain Sickness in Latin American Medical Students.

Acute altitude exposure is a common event in Latin America that can result in mild to severe altitude illness. Medical students from some Latin American countries receive little information on this topic. Our aim was to determine the knowledge and incidence of acute mountain sickness (AMS), as well as the methods used to prevent AMS among medical students attending the Pan-American Student Meeting in Cusco, Peru, a city at high altitude (3400 m). We conducted a cross-sectional study on medical students attending a conference. Participants completed a questionnaire on the day of registration that collected demographic data and investigated students' knowledge of AMS, its prophylaxis, and their personal experience of symptoms. A total of 840 students attended the meeting. Two hundred eighty-eight returned surveys, 51 from high altitude locations. Respondent age was 23±3 y (mean±SD), and 72% were female. Thirty-two percent had basic knowledge about symptoms of AMS. Headache was recognized as a symptom by 79%. Knowledge of AMS prophylaxis was reported by 70%. Coca leaf products and dimenhydrinate were mentioned by 30 and 16%, respectively, whereas acetazolamide was recognized by only 10% of participants. AMS incidence was 42%. Prophylactic measures were adopted by 47% of the participants in our study. Thirty-six percent used dimenhydrinate and 27% used coca tea. Less than 1% used acetazolamide as recommended. We found poor knowledge of AMS and effective prophylaxis among medical students from several South American countries traveling to 3400 m.

Factors associated with producing a scientific publication during medical training: evidence from a cross-sectional study of 40 medical schools in Latin America.

Background: Scientific publication during medical training is key to promoting enduring cutting-edge knowledge. The promotion of science among medical students in Latin America is a multisectoral issue that is hampered by the lack of governmental knowledge to invest in national research, as well as by the lack of support from local universities. This study aims to determine the factors associated with the production of 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 conducted in 2016 that assessed the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among medical students from 40 local scientific societies of medical students affiliated with FELSOCEM. Teams from each local scientific society surveyed self-reported scientific publications and explored their association with socioeconomic, academic, and research training conditions. We applied nested models to identify the covariates associated with self-reported scientific publication, obtaining a parsimonious mixed-effects multilevel model grouped by medical scientific society. Results: Of 11,587 participants, the prevalence of scientific publications increased in 36% among medical students affiliated to a Scientific Society of Medical Students [parsimonious prevalence ratio (pPR)=1.36, 95%CI=1.16-1.59], 51% among medical students with advanced English proficiency [pPR=1.51, 95%CI=1.21 - 1.87], 85% among medical students who attended a scientific writing skills course [pPR=1.85, 95%CI=1.59-2.15], 81% among medical students who use Sci-Hub [pPR=1.81, 95%CI=1.50-2.20], and 108% among medical students who have access to a pirated academic account [pPR=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. The results will help clinical educators and medical programs improve resources for training students in high-quality research.

Scientific literacy and preferred resources used by Latin American medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multinational survey

Background: This study aims to identify the preferred sources for acquiring knowledge about COVID-19 and to evaluate basic knowledge on critical scientific literature appraisal in students from medical schools located in Spanish speaking countries in Latin America. Methods: We designed an online survey of 15 closed-ended questions related to demographics, preferred resources for COVID-19 training, and items to assess critical appraisal skills. A snowball method was used for sampling. We conducted a descriptive analysis and Chi-squared tests to compare the proportion of correct identification of the concept of a preprint and a predatory journal when considering a) self-perceived level of knowledge, b) public vs private school, c) inclusion of a scientific literature appraisal subject in the curriculum, and d) progress in medical school. Results: Our sample included 770 valid responses, out of which most of the participants included were from Mexico (n=283, 36.8%) and Ecuador (n=229, 29.7%). Participants preferred using evidence-based clinical resources (EBCRs) to learn more about COVID-19 (n=182, 23.6%). The preferred study design was case report/series (n=218, 28.1%). We found that only 265 participants correctly identified the concept of a preprint (34.4%), while 243 students (31.6%) correctly identified the characteristics of a predatory journal. We found no significant differences in the proportion of correct answers regardless of the self-perceived level of knowledge, progress in medical school, or scientific literature critical appraisal classes. Conclusion: This study is novel in its approach of identifying sources of knowledge used by Latin American medical students and provides insights into the need to reinforce training in critical appraisal of scientific literature during medical school.

Sources of information about COVID-19 in Latin American medical students and healthcare workers

Sources of information about COVID-19 in Latin American medical students and healthcare workers

Factors associated with producing a scientific publication during medical training: evidence from a cross-sectional study of 40 medical schools in Latin America

Background: Scientific publication during medical training is key to promoting enduring cutting-edge knowledge. The promotion of science among medical students in Latin America is a multisectoral issue that is hampered by the lack of governmental knowledge to invest in national research, as well as by the lack of support from local universities. This study aims to determine the factors associated with the production of 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 conducted in 2016 that assessed the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) among medical students from 40 local scientific societies of medical students affiliated with FELSOCEM. Teams from each local scientific society surveyed self-reported scientific publications and explored their association with socioeconomic, academic, and research training conditions. We applied nested models to identify the covariates associated with self-reported scientific publication, obtaining a parsimonious mixed-effects multilevel model grouped by medical scientific society. Results: Of 11,587 participants, the prevalence of scientific publications increased in 36% among medical students affiliated to a Scientific Society of Medical Students [parsimonious prevalence ratio (pPR)=1.36, 95%CI=1.16–1.59], 51% among medical students with advanced English proficiency [pPR=1.51, 95%CI=1.21 – 1.87], 85% among medical students who attended a scientific writing skills course [pPR=1.85, 95%CI=1.59–2.15], 81% among medical students who use Sci-Hub [pPR=1.81, 95%CI=1.50–2.20], and 108% among medical students who have access to a pirated academic account [pPR=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. The results will help clinical educators and medical programs improve resources for training students in high-quality research

Factors associated with producing a scientific publication during medical training: evidence from a cross-sectional study of 40 medical schools surveyed in Latin America

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.

Motivation towards medical career choice and academic performance in Latin American medical students: A cross-sectional study.

IntroductionMotivation in medical students is positively associated with learning strategies. However, the evidence of a direct relationship between motivation and performance is vague. The objective of this study is to determine if the motivation that pushed students to choose the medical career is associated with their academic performance during their university years.MethodsThe study was conducted in 4,290 medical students from 10 countries in Latin America. The “Attribution Scale of General Achievement Motivation” was used to evaluate their general performance. The “Medical motivation Scale” test was used to measure social, altruist, economic, and prestige motivators. For statistical analyses, frequencies and percentages were described, and generalized linear models were used to establish statistical associations.ResultsFifty percent of the students surveyed were females and the mean student age was 21 years old. This study showed that male students had a higher social/altruist motivation (PR:1.11,95%CI: 1.03–1.18; p<0,01) than females. Those who had familial pressure had a lower social/altruist motivation (PR:0.17,95%CI:0.08–0.36; p<0,001). The positive vocational test was associated with a higher social/altruist motivation (PR:1.85,95%CI:1.03–3.30; p<0,05). Moreover, good grades at school were related with a higher economical/prestige motivation (PR:1.39,95%CI:1.05–1.83; p<0,05), but lower social/altruist motivation (PR:0.85,95%CI:0.74–0.98; p<0,05) and academic performance (PR:0.63,95%CI:0.50–0.79; p<0,001). We found a higher frequency in the general motivation was associated to a lowest social/altruist motivation (PR: 0.57; CI95%: 0.46–0.70; p<0.001), and that it increased according to the year of study (PR: 1.15; CI95%: 1.03–1.28; p:0.013) and was higher when pressure by the family was present (PR: 1.36; CI95%: 1.17–1.59; p<0.001).ConclusionThis study indicated that male medical students and having a positive vocational test were associated with a higher social/altruist motivation. Conversely, those who had familial pressure and good grades at school had a lower social/altruist motivation. Is necessary to conduct further studies that assess other factors related to motivation as demographics, personality, and learning styles.

Diseño y validación de una escala para medir la percepción sobre el trabajo en el primer nivel de atención en estudiantes de medicina de Latinoamérica

Objectives. To design and validate a scale to assess Latin American medical students’ perception on first level of health care (FLHC). Materials and methods. An observational, analytic and multicentre study was carried out in two phases: i) A self-administered questionnaire regarding perceptions on FLHClabor was designed. ii) This questionnaire was applied to to medical students from 18 universities of eight Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed through a principal components analysis with orthogonal varimax rotation. Sample adequacy was evaluated. Factor extraction was based on Kaiser’s criteria, Cattell’s Scree test and the explained variance (>5%). Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach’s alpha. Results. 423 students were included in the analysis; 53.4% were from Peruvian universities. After the EFA, the questionnaire conserved 11 items, which were distributed in three domains, that explaining together 55.47% of the total variance: i) Perceptions concerning the FLHC physician; ii) Perceptions concerning the FiLC labor and iii) Perceptions about the economic consequences of working in FLHC. Conclusion. The scale is composed by three domains and can be used to assess the perceptions of the medical work on first level of health care of Spanish-speaking Latin American medical students.

Prevalence and Predictors of High Sexual Prejudice Among Medical Students From Two Colombian Cities

Around the world, sexual prejudice is still a concerning attitude present in health care providers and institutions. Identification of sexual prejudice during medical training could be an initial strategy to improve health care assistance to this particular population. Despite significant knowledge in the area, almost all previous studies were based on samples from developed countries, and there are no studies evaluating sexual prejudice and its conditionings among Latin American medical students. Objectives of the study were to estimate prevalence and predictors of sexual prejudice among medical students from two large cities in Colombia. This research found that 22.9% of medical students had a high sexual prejudice. Males and individuals with high religiosity were associated with a higher sexual prejudice and may require more sensitization and education in the area. Medical training represents a very good opportunity to approach the problem and decrease sexual prejudice in future physicians.

Apreciación de estudiantes de Medicina latinoamericanos sobre la capacitación universitaria en investigación científica

Learning research skills should be a goal during undergraduate training of physicians.To identify Latin American medical students' appraisal on research skills university training.A self-administered survey about experience in research, self-assessment of research skills, quality of training in the area received at the university and that importance of publishing as undergraduate students, was answered by 208 medical students aged 23 ± 3 years (54% male), attending a medical students congress.Seventy percent of respondents pertained to medical students' scientific societies and 34% had published in a scientific journal. Fifty two percent considered as good or very good the training level received at their universities on information retrieval and 45% considered good the training in research methodology. Thirty two percent considered as poor or none the training received in scientific writing and 37% in the publishing process. Eighty nine percent considered student publishing as important and 61% perceived limitations in this matter.The university training level received by Latin American medical students on research and publication process was evaluated as deficient by these students.

Design and validation of a scale to assess Latin American medical students' perception on the labour of the first level of health care

To design and validate a scale to assess Latin American medical students' perception on first level of health care (FLHC). An observational, analytic and multicentre study was carried out in two phases: i) A self-administered questionnaire regarding perceptions on FLHClabor was designed. ii) This questionnaire was applied to to medical students from 18 universities of eight Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed through a principal components analysis with orthogonal varimax rotation. Sample adequacy was evaluated. Factor extraction was based on Kaiser's criteria, Cattell's Scree test and the explained variance (>5%). Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's alpha. 423 students were included in the analysis; 53.4% were from Peruvian universities. After the EFA, the questionnaire conserved 11 items, which were distributed in three domains, that explaining together 55.47% of the total variance: i) Perceptions concerning the FLHC physician; ii) Perceptions concerning the FiLC labor and iii) Perceptions about the economic consequences of working in FLHC. The scale is composed by three domains and can be used to assess the perceptions of the medical work on first level of health care of Spanish-speaking Latin American medical students.

Scientific journals of medical students in Latin-America

This article deals with the history and evolution of student's scientific journals in Latin-America, their beginnings, how many still exist and which is their future projection. Relevant events show the growth of student's scientific journals in Latin-America and how are they working together to improve their quality. This article is addressed not only for Latin American readers but also to worldwide readers. Latin American medical students are consistently working together to publish scientific research, whose quality is constantly improving.

Revistas científicas de estudiantes de medicina en Latinoamérica

This article deals with the history and evolution of student's scientific journals in Latin-America, their beginnings, how many still exist and which is their future projection. Relevant events show the growth of student's scientific journals in Latin-America and how are they working together to improve their quality. This article is addressed not only for Latin American readers but also to worldwide readers. Latin American medical students are consistently working together to publish scientific research, whose quality is constantly improving.