Factors related to Medical Genetics content retention in medical training

Abstract

Background: the assimilation of the contents of the Medical Genetics subject requires meaningful learning to respond to the demands of the professional model and the accelerated development of science itself.
Objective: to identify the factors which hinder the assimilation of the contents of Medical Genetics in medical students.
Method: a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out at “M D. Zoilo Marinello Vidaurreta” University of Medical Sciences from Las Tunas province, during the 2016-2017 academic year. Theoretical methods were used: analysis-synthesis, inductive-deductive and systemic-structural; and empirical ones: pedagogical test, questionnaire survey and group interview, which contributed to the foundation and elaboration of results.
Results: difficulties were observed in the retention of the contents of Medical Genetics in the students; factors that affect were recognized they are the inadequate methods and teaching aids, inadequacies of bibliography and its complexity, and the decontextualization of the problem solving situations with those of future professional performance.
Conclusions: the factors that hinder the assimilation of the contents of Medical Genetics are conditioned by the deficient use of teaching-learning strategies, in which active methods and innovative and motivating teaching methods must predominate.