Self-perceived competence in managing obstetric emergencies among recently graduated physicians from Lima, Peru

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the self-perception of competencies in obstetric emergencies among recently graduated physicians from universities in Lima, Peru; and to identify its associated factors. METHODS: An analytical study was conducted, with the study population comprising newly graduated doctors who attended the “VI SERUMS National Convention” in 2017. We used Poisson regressions to assess the factors associated with the self-perception of competencies in obstetric emergencies, calculating prevalence ratios (PR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: We analyzed a population of 463 newly graduated physicians (mean age: 25.9 years), of which 33.3% reported feeling competent in obstetric emergencies. In the adjusted analyses, we found that having a previous health career (PR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.12—2.81), having completed the internship in EsSalud hospitals (PR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.31—1.68), and completing a university externship (PR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.34—1.96) were associated with a higher prevalence of self-perceived competence in obstetric emergencies. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that certain academic factors, such as completing an externship and internship in specific hospital settings, may enhance the competencies or competence self-perception of recently graduated physicians in obstetric emergencies. Further studies are needed to confirm these results and identify other factors that may impact physicians’ competencies in this field. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-023-04854-5.