Low publication rate of postgraduate theses within a faculty of medicine at a Peruvian public university: methodological profile and implications for postgraduate medical education

Abstract Background Postgraduate theses represent the culmination of formal research training, yet their conversion into peer-reviewed publications remains an underexplored indicator of training effectiveness, particularly in Latin American public universities. This study aimed to describe the methodological profile and publication outcomes of postgraduate theses within a Faculty of Medicine at a Peruvian public university. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study of all master’s and doctoral theses defended at the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa between 2017 and 2024 and available in the institutional repository. Data on thesis characteristics, methodological profile, and previous publication experience of students and supervisors were extracted independently by three researchers. Thesis-derived publications were identified through systematic searches in PubMed, Scopus and SciELO. Descriptive statistics were used, with chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests for comparisons between master’s and doctoral theses. Results Of 309 included theses (68.3% master’s, 31.7% doctoral), only five (1.6%) resulted in publications in indexed journals (Scopus: n = 3; SciELO: n = 2). Most theses were descriptive (69.6%), observational (87.1%), hospital‑based (64.4%), and used inferential statistics (86.4%). Significant differences between master’s and doctoral theses were observed in study design, unit of analysis, and study setting (all p < 0.05). All five published theses were authored by students with prior publication experience. Conclusions Postgraduate theses within a Faculty of Medicine were predominantly descriptive, with a very low publication rate (1.6%). Publication outcomes may serve as observable indicators of research training, but should not be interpreted as direct measures of training quality. Strengthening methodological training, scientific writing, and institutional support for dissemination is needed to improve the translation of postgraduate research into published knowledge.