Knowledge about cancer screening among medical students and internal medicine residents in Mexico City

Abstract

It is extremely important that physicians are aware of cancer screening precise indications. We sought to explore its knowledge among Mexican medical students and internal medicine residents. Students and residents completed a questionnaire-based survey about breast, cervical, colon, and prostate cancer screening. Four hundred fifty-one individuals answered the survey: 64.52% students and 35.48% residents. Mean knowledge score was 63.97 ± 14.97. Residents scored higher than students (p = 0.0001). No difference in the education concerning cervical and colon cancer screening was found. Knowledge of screening guidelines is suboptimal among medical students and residents. Further efforts should be targeted to educational and training programs in this country.