Frecuencia del miedo relacionado a la pandemia de COVID-19 en estudiantes del noveno y décimo ciclo de la Carrera de Medicina de la Universidad de Cuenca, 2022

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the academic routines, training and practical training of students in their last year of medicine, which added to the concern about what could happen to them or their families, generates a state of anguish and fears in this population. Objective: To determine the frequency of fear caused by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in students of the ninth and tenth cycle of the medical career of the University of Cuenca, period March-August 2022. Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional study in ninth and tenth cycle medicine students. Data was collected directly, using a scale of fear of COVID-19 and sociodemographic factors. The data was presented in tables using the statistical program SPSS in its version 23. Results: The sample (n=125) consisted mainly of female students (64%). The mean age was 23±2 years. The average fear of COVID-19 was 13.7±5.9 points. 84% had low levels of fear, 10.4% had moderate levels, and only 5.6% had high levels. 45.6% of the sample "agreed" with feeling deficient in their practical training, although the highest level of fear (21.58±7.61 points) was observed in those who answered "disagree". Conclusions: There is a high frequency of medical students with low levels of fear of COVID-19, most of whom feel unprepared for professional medical practice.