Interaction of medical students with children before taking the Pediatrics course

Introduction. In Pediatrics, communication involves children and their families. Students with the highest interaction with children can approach this subject with greater confidence. Objective. To assess the interaction with children of medical students in their daily lives and its correlation with confidence at the start of the Pediatrics course. Methods. A self-administered survey study of pediatric students of the School of Medicine of the Universidad de Buenos Aires inquired about the frequency of interaction with children under 12 years of age and confidence in this interaction. Results. A total of 286/450 responses were obtained. Only 27 students lived with children, and 14 were parents. Most had little interaction (1-2 times a year or less) with children (64% infants, 64.3% preschoolers, 54.6% schoolchildren). A positive correlation was found between interaction level and confidence (p < 0.01). Conclusion. Medical students have limited interaction with minors in their daily lives, which affects their confidence in taking a Pediatrics course.