title: [Latin American medical students' appraisal on university scientific research training].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Learning research skills should be a goal during undergraduate training of physicians.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify Latin American medical students' appraisal on research skills university training.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The university training level received by Latin American medical students on research and publication process was evaluated as deficient by these students.
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Perú
authors.forename: Percy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mayta-Tristán
authors.forename: Ronny
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cartagena-Klein
authors.forename: Reneé
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pereyra-Elías
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Portillo
authors.forename: Alfonso J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Morales
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000193:education*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America; D008297:Male; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult