Adaptación de la educación médica a la pandemia COVID-19 la experiencia de 1520 alumnos

INTRODUCTION: Due to the isolation imposed by the government during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, face-to-face educational activities in universities and hospitals were restricted. OBJECTIVE: To explore the different adaptations of the educational system and the experience in the virtual environment of medical students in Argentina in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: An observational, analytical, cross-sectional study was carried out. Data collection was performed through an online questionnaire in the period between April 19 and June 15, 2020 through a "snowball" type sampling, disseminated through social networks. The study population involved medical students from the Argentine Republic (n=1520 students), considering the totality of the students, we obtained a response rate of 1.5%. RESULTS: We observed that 95.41% (n=1505) indicated that their training was affected, only 56.14% (n=850) of the universities were able to virtualize all subjects, and 97.69% (n=1479) expressed that Argentine universities were not fully prepared. Regarding the virtual experience; 92.98% (n=1364) reported that virtual education allowed them to advance in their degree, 76.89% (n=1128) indicated that the quality of virtual classes was worse than face-to-face classes, and 58.55% (n=859) did not have the possibility of taking any exams virtually. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the different adaptations of the educational system were not sufficient to face the challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The experience of medical students in the virtual environment did not meet expectations and in many cases did not allow them to advance in their careers. Educational policies that take into account the needs expressed by the students are crucial for the management of future contingencies.