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March-Amengual JM, Cambra-Badii I, Pineda Galán C, Busquets-Alibés E, Masó Aguado M, Ramon-Aribau A, Feito Grande L, Comella Cayuela A, Terribas I Sala N, Andrade-Gómez E, Martínez-Perez N, Jerez-Roig J. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on enrollment in undergraduate health-related studies in Spain. BMC Med Educ 2023; 23:386. [PMID: 37237295 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-023-04347-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine whether the pandemic has reinforced the choice of pursuing health-related bachelor's degrees, and to identify underlying factors that could contribute to that impact. This is a cross-sectional study using an online survey of 2,344 students of nursing, physiotherapy, medicine, psychology and podiatry who started health-related bachelor's degrees after the COVID-19 outbreak in Spanish higher education institutions. The pandemic influenced the choice of these studies by increasing the desire to help others (33.2%), by increasing citizenship values (28.4%), and by increasing the desire to contribute to improving the situation of the country (27.5%). Women had a significantly greater influence on the increase in social values related to the practice of the profession produced by the pandemic, whereas men and the bachelor's degree in podiatry were more influenced by salary prospects. An increased desire to help others was significantly higher among women and nursing and medical students. Podiatry and psychology were the degrees were most influenced by the pandemic, as more students decided to pursue them, something they had previously doubted, while in nursing, psychology, and medicine the pandemic reinforced their interest in pursuing the degree the most. Students personally affected by COVID-19 reported being more influenced in reconsidering their professional path and in reinforcing their desire to pursue the health-related studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaume-Miquel March-Amengual
- Research Group On Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M3O), Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare, Center for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
- Chair in Medical Education, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Irene Cambra-Badii
- Research Group On Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M3O), Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare, Center for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain.
- Chair in Medical Education, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain.
- Grífols Foundation Chair of Bioethics, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain.
| | | | - Ester Busquets-Alibés
- Research Group On Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M3O), Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare, Center for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
- Grífols Foundation Chair of Bioethics, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Montse Masó Aguado
- Research Group On Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M3O), Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare, Center for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Anna Ramon-Aribau
- Research Group On Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M3O), Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare, Center for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | | | - Agustí Comella Cayuela
- Research Group On Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M3O), Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare, Center for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
- Chair in Medical Education, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Nuria Terribas I Sala
- Grífols Foundation Chair of Bioethics, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | | | - Naiara Martínez-Perez
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Javier Jerez-Roig
- Research Group On Methodology, Methods, Models and Outcomes of Health and Social Sciences (M3O), Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare, Center for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
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