Characteristics among six generations of medicine graduates.

BACKGROUND

Medical graduates follow-up programs allow the improvement of the curriculum of the Medicine career. Through identifying opportunity areas and strengthening points, institutions become increasingly competitive.

OBJECTIVE

Identify the socio-demographic, formative, labor insertion and satisfaction characteristics among six generations of graduates of the Medical School of the Faculty of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (2004-2009).

METHOD

It is a descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective, comparative study integrating the answers of mailed electronic questionnaires to 5295 graduates who concluded studies between 2004 and 2009. Descriptive and inferential techniques were used for analysis.

RESULTS

An upward trend in the number of years to conclude the career was identified and an increase in failed assignments in the last three generations. Noticeable was also that, as time went by, the incorporation of physicians into the labor market was slower. Although the percentage of general unemployment was very low (2.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

There are no major changes in the characteristics of the Medicine graduates. Although it is necessary to identify the reason for the increased in failed assignments which affects the length of completion. Further improvement in Research and Social Medicine programs are to be considered.