Association between daily working hours and depressive symptoms in resident physicians in Peru. / Asociación entre horas laboradas diariamente y presencia de síntomas depresivos en médicos residentes de Perú.

INTRODUCTION: Resident physicians who work more hours a day are prone to suffer mental health problems such as depression, a subject that has been little studied. In this regard, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and to evaluate the association between the number of daily working hours and depressive symptoms in Peruvian residents. METHODS: Analytical cross-sectional study that used the database of the National Survey for Resident Physicians-2016, a voluntary survey issued virtually by the National Council of Medical Residency of Peru to physicians who were undertaking their residency in Peru. The presence of depressive symptoms was considered as having obtained a score ≥3 with the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 scale. The number of hours worked each day was collected through a direct question. To assess the association of interest, prevalence ratios (PR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using crude and adjusted Poisson regressions with robust variance. RESULTS: The responses of 953 residents (41.3% women, mean age: 32.5 years) were evaluated, 14.6% of which presented depressive symptoms. In the adjusted analysis, it was found that the prevalence of depressive symptoms increased for each additional hour worked (PR=1.11; 95% CI, 1.04-1.17). CONCLUSIONS: One in seven residents had depressive symptoms. For every extra daily working hour, the frequency of depressive symptoms increased by 11%.

Características de las tesis para titularse de médico: estudio transversal en Perú / Characteristics of theses for physician graduation: a cross-sectional study in Peru

INTRODUCCIÓN: La investigación en Perú presenta diversas barreras que impiden su desarrollo. Ello afecta también las tesis para graduarse de médico. Nuestro objetivo fue caracterizar las tesis para obtener el título de médico en Perú. MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio observacional y descriptivo de las tesis para obtener el título de médico del año 2019 en 22 universidades que son miembros titulares de la Asociación Peruana de Facultades de Medicina. La revisión se efectuó durante enero de 2022. Se evaluaron características de las universidades (región, régimen: pública/privada), y de las tesis, incluyendo el contar con la aprobación por un comité institucional de ética en investigación, si estuvieron alineadas con una prioridad de investigación nacional y si fueron publicadas en una revista científica. Los datos de cada tesis evaluada fueron extraídos en una ficha de recolección de datos para el posterior cálculo de frecuencias absolutas y relativas de las variables de estudio. RESULTADOS: Se evaluaron 1838 tesis. La mayoría de ellas fueron elaboradas por un único alumno (66,16%). El diseño de estudio más común fue el tipo transversal descriptivo (42,3%). El 53,86% de las tesis respondieron a una prioridad de investigación nacional, siendo la más estudiada "salud materna, perinatal y neonatal" (26,01%). Del total de tesis, el 56,75% no indicó si contó con la aprobación de un comité institucional de ética en investigación. Sólo 40 tesis (2,19%) se publicaron en una revista científica (14 en revistas indexadas). CONCLUSIÓN: Dos tercios de las tesis realizadas por estudiantes de medicina en Perú son estudios descriptivos. La mitad responde a prioridades nacionales de investigación. Cuatro de cada diez tesis informan sobre la aprobación por un comité institucional de ética en investigación. El número de las tesis publicadas es bajo. Los resultados muestran carencias de las políticas institucionales universitarias que estimulen al cumplimiento ético y desarrollo de la investigación.

INTRODUCTION: Research in Peru presents several barriers that impede its development and that also affects the theses to graduate as physician. Our objective was to characterize the theses for obtaining a medical degree in Peru. METHODS: An observational and descriptive study evaluating the theses for obtaining a medical degree of 2019, evaluated in January 2022 from 22 universities that are full members of the Peruvian Association of Faculties of Medicine. Characteristics of the universities and theses were evaluated, including the evaluation of a institutional research ethics committee, the aligment with a national research priority, and publication status in a scientific journal. The absolute and relative frequencies of the study variables were described. RESULTS: A total of 1838 theses were evaluated. Most of the theses were written by a single student (66.16%). The most common study design was the descriptive cross-sectional type (42.33%). We found that 53.86% of the theses responded to a national research priority, the most common being "maternal, perinatal and neonatal health" (26.01%). Of the total, 56.75% did not indicate whether they had the approval of an institutional research ethics committee. Only 40 theses (2.19%) were published in a scientific journal (14 in indexed journals). CONCLUSION: Two-thirds of the theses conducted by medical students in Peru are descriptive studies. Half respond to national research priorities. Four out of ten theses were approved by an institutional research ethics committee. The number of published theses is low. The results show shortcomings in university institutional policies that encourage ethical compliance and research development.

Educación médica durante la pandemia del COVID -19: iniciativas mundiales para el pregrado, internado y el residentado médico / Medical education during the COVID -19 pandemic: global initiatives for undergraduate, internship, and medical residency

RESUMEN La pandemia de enfermedad por coronavirus de 2019 (COVID-19) ha planteado diversos retos a los estamentos de la sociedad y la educación médica no ha sido la excepción. A nivel mundial, las universidades han planteado diversas iniciativas en el pregrado y el internado medico como la virtualización parcial de su contenido curricular, la modificación de su currículo y las actividades educativas y la incorporación de estudiantes de los últimos años a las actividades asistenciales. En el residentado médico, las especialidades quirúrgicas y las que basan su aprendizaje en procedimientos son las más afectadas. Se ha incorporado residentes de distintas especialidades a labores asistenciales diferentes a su especialidad y se ha virtualizado algunas de sus actividades de aprendizaje. El Perú debe hacer una evaluación de estas estrategias y la posible adaptación a nuestra realidad.

ABSTRACT The 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) has posed various challenges to the strata of society and medical education has been no exception. Globally, universities have proposed various initiatives in undergraduate and medical internships such as the partial virtualization of their curricular content, the modification of their curriculum and educational activities and the incorporation of students from the last years to the management of COVID-19 patients. In medical residency, surgical specialties and those that base their learning on procedures are the most affected. Residents of different specialties have been incorporated into healthcare tasks different from their specialty and some of their learning activities have been virtualized. Peru must make an evaluation of these strategies and the possible adaptation to our reality.