Participation, production, satisfaction and recommendation of academic leagues: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The academic leagues are collectives of students, under teacher supervision, formatted as a regular longitudinal program of university extension. They are very common on Brazilian medical schools and are gaining even more ground among the extracurricular activities. PURPOSE: To evaluate the activities of medical students who participate in academic leagues and their influence on professional training. METHOD: Exploratory, quantitative, and descriptive cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire for students in the last two years of graduation at a medical school in Rio Grande do Sul/Brazil, in January and February 2022. RESULTS: Sample of 71 students (36.4% of the total population). On average, each student participated in 3.56 (± 1.55) leagues. Students who were already in their sixth year, who had published a paper, or who had average grades above 8.6 reported participation in a significantly higher average number of leagues. The more leagues the student participated and the more satisfied he was with them, the more he recommended participation to other students. In addition to the leagues, the average participation in different complementary activities by students was 3.00 (± 1.01) activities, especially internships, tutoring, volunteering, and scientific initiation. The average number of papers published was 1.12 (±1.35), with 31 students (43.66%) without any publications. The correlation between the number of leagues per student and papers published was positive, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.89. CONCLUSIONS: Students usually enter academic leagues early, participating in many of them, in addition to participating in other complementary activities. Participation in leagues is associated with complementary activities and the publication of scientific papers. Satisfied academics refer league participation to their peers, creating a cycle of increased participation among students. Academic leagues are complementary activities that have a positive impact on the training of medical students.