Expectations versus reality in students when starting the medicine career, at Da Vinci University of Guatemala. January-July 2022

Abstract

Introduction: The expectation and reality generated by medical students upon entering university may or may not coincide across different teaching scenarios. Objective: To compare the expectation and reality of students when beginning their medical studies at Da Vinci University, January to July 2022. Method: The study is observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional; conducted on 475 students. It was carried out on all students from the first to the sixth year, across the Huehuetenango, Quetzaltenango, and Guatemala campuses of the Faculty of Medical and Life Sciences, Da Vinci University. The questionnaire was validated with the modified Moriyama criteria, containing 18 questions. Research ethics were complied with, and variable operationalization was performed. Techniques and procedures were utilized to obtain information for processing, analysis, discussion, and synthesis. Results: The female gender predominated with 52.6%, with the greatest participation from the Huehuetenango campus, representing 44.0%. Only 24% of first-year students start the degree with great expectation, while only 7.9% of sixth-year students report a less-than-expected reality. During academic training, medical students exhibit different expectations and realities. Conclusions: The results can be divided into two large groups: the first is represented by those who have a great or medium expectation when starting the degree, while the second group, when starting the degree, has little expectation and the reality is unexpected.