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.

KEYWORDS:

• Knowledge
• radiology
• students, medical
• academic training
• Latin america
• teaching methods

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the experts in radiology for offering their collaboration to obtain a quality instrument and to Alberto Narváez Olalla MD., PhD. for his help in the methodological conception of this research. Similarly, to all Latin American medical students who gave their time to honestly answer the questionnaire. Additionally, we want to thank Universidad de las Américas for financing the fee publication of this work.

Availability of data and materials

The entire data set is available by written request to the lead or corresponding author.

Consent for publication

Electronic informed consent was obtained, voluntarily accepted in a section of the questionnaire, by each of the participants prior to completing the online instrument of this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2023.2173044

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Universidad de las Americas, Quito, Ecuador .