Methodological Characteristics of Specialty Theses in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Their Publication Rate

Abstract

Introduction: Medical residency allows physicians to strengthen clinical and research skills by completing undergraduate theses. However, the methodological quality and publication rate of these papers vary by country and specialty, and is particularly low in developing countries.

Objective: To identify the methodological characteristics of the theses carried out by residents in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, as well as to determine the percentage of works published in scientific journals.

Method: Descriptive study based on secondary sources. Theses from the Specialty in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the National Autonomous University of Mexico were reviewed, available on the Tesiunam platform. Methodological characteristics, peer review, and whether the theses had been published in national or international journals were analyzed, as well as their impact factor and quartile.

Results: 270 theses were analyzed. The most studied population were adults (55.19%), followed by studies that included adults and older adults (17.78%). The most addressed areas were musculoskeletal (34.2%) and neurological (33.09%). Only 10 theses (3.7%) were published; nine in national journals without an impact factor and one in an indexed international journal (impact factor 3.1, quartile 2).

Discussion: This study identified that the designs were mainly observational (75.93%), the publication rate was low (3.7%), in accordance with what was reported in developing countries. These results underscore the need to strengthen methodological training and promote strategies that promote scientific publication from the residency stage.

Conclusions: The theses in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation focus mainly on observational studies of musculoskeletal and neurological areas. The publication rate was low, in line with what was reported in developing countries, and most of the publications were made in journals without an impact factor.