Abstract

LLANOS ZAVALAGA, Luis Fernando et al. Perceptions of the medical career among senior high school students in an urban area of Lima, Perú. Rev Med Hered [online]. 2004, vol.15, n.3, pp.136-143. ISSN 1018-130X.

Objective: To know the perceptions about the medical profession in students of the last year of education at secondary schools, in Lima Metropolitana. Material and methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study, made between June and August 2001 in students of private (CP) and public (CN) schools. A validated questionnaire was used to evaluate the perception of 5 dimensions related to the medical career: characteristics of the career, personality of medical students, social perception of medical doctors, educational and family aspects. We compared the results by type of school and association with the general variables. Results: we included 548 (81.4%) students of 6 schools (40.7% of CN, 37.4% of religious CP and 21.9% of nonreligious CP): 70.4% were men and the age average was 16.3 ± 0.7 years old. 98,7% wished to study some professional career, 18.6% to study medicine. To have a professional health-sector relative, a good previous experience with a medical doctor and the knowledge of duration of the career, were associated to the election (p<0.01). 86.1% considered a long career, more than 80% emphasized special attitudes of medical students, 34.1% emphasized their intelligence and 34.3% thought that the medical career would allow them to make faster money. Conclusions: The perception of the medical career preserves the principles of vocation and service, but the time inverted in career plays a negative role for its election. (Rev Med Hered 2004; 15:136-143).

Keywords : Perception; medicine; students; school.

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