Association of the level of knowledge about scientific initiation in medical academic training

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the impact of scientific initiation (SI) curricular content on the education of medical students. Methods: This is an observational, quantitative, cross-sectional study conducted with 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 8th-semester medical students from a private medical school located in Anápolis (GO), Brazil. Data were collected through a questionnaire developed by the authors under the supervision of a specialist professor, designed to assess students’ knowledge and level of satisfaction regarding the SI subarea. Results: The findings showed a predominance of female students aged 18–21 years who identified as White, as well as a progressive increase in correct response rates across semesters, with the lowest in the 1st and the highest in the 8th. There was also an overall positive evaluation of the module, especially regarding its relevance to professional practice, although many considered the workload insufficient. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that age and academic semester influence correct response outcomes, standing out for its novel approach to students’ perceptions and knowledge about the SI module and contributing to reflections on improving medical education. As a limitation, it presents metodológica constraints that may affect the generalizability of the findings.