Interns’ perceptions about the medical internship suspension during the COVID-19 quarantine

• Main Authors: Leonardo Albitres-Flores, Yhojar A. Pisfil-Farroñay, Karla Guillen-Macedo, Roberto Niño-Garcia, Christoper A. Alarcon-Ruiz
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Instituto Nacional de Salud 2020-09-01
• Series: Revista Peruana de Medicina Experimental y Salud Pública
• Subjects: estudiantes de medicina; pandemias; internado y residencia; equipos de seguridad; equipo de protección personal; educación médica; cuarentena; covid-19
• Online Access: https://rpmesp.ins.gob.pe/index.php/rpmesp/article/view/5729
• ISSN: 1726-4634; 1726-4642

The objective of the study was to describe the medical interns’ (MI) perceptions about the internship suspension during the COVID-19 quarantine in Peru. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted by means of a virtual survey regarding the perception of the internship suspension, return conditions and academic activities during quarantine. A total of 353 MIs participated in the study; 54.9% agreed or totally agreed with returning to their hospital sites if biosecurity measures were guaranteed, more than 90% felt uncertain about the restart and end dates, and 85.6% participated in academic virtual classes. It is concluded that the intention to return to the hospital increases when biosecurity measures are guaranteed. Hospitals should guarantee these measures and ensure health coverage for the MIs, if their return to hospitals is intended.