Neurophobic perception in last year medical students at a private university

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Neurosciences have a high degree of difficulty in undergraduate programs; students can feel a sense of Neurophobia defined as the low affinity or fear of their learning and neurological clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the frequency of perceived Neurophobia during the internship and inquire about key factors related to that perception.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional study was performed on 100 medical students by implementing a structured survey.

RESULTS:

48% of students had a perception of Neurophobia at some point in the career and 69% felt that the Neurosciences had greater difficulty than other specialties; 63% felt that their general knowledge were lower and 53% perceived their practical skills to assess neurological patients was lower. 50% felt that the teaching style of clinical teachers could be related to that perception.

CONCLUSIONS:

The perception of Neurophobia in internship students was near 50% and the teaching style of clinical teachers was a related factor to the problem; the perception of lower skills in practical care is the factor that raises the need to implement new styles of teaching and learning with a model that defines the most important learning outcomes in Neurology.