Deconstrucción de prejuicios en la formación en salud mediante la escritura reflexiva: estudio cualitativo

Abstract

Introduction

Prejudices and stereotypes during the training of health sciences students pose a significant risk to the quality, equity, and ethics of clinical care. This interpretative qualitative study explores the written reflections of second-year university students before beginning their preclinical placements, aiming to identify implicit biases, understand their sociocultural origins, and analyze their ethical readiness for change.

Materials and Methods

Ninety-six written reflections were analyzed from a formative activity conducted at a public university in southern Chile. Thematic content analysis was applied to examine responses to three open-ended questions regarding existing stereotypes, sources of learning, and strategies to overcome them.

Results

Seven main categories of prejudice were identified: towards people with obesity, migrants, pregnant adolescents, older adults, LGBTIQ+ individuals, people with an “unkempt” appearance, and expressions of machismo. Students attributed these biases to family socialization, mass media, and social networks. They also highlighted a willingness to act ethically and pursue further education on diversity and inclusion.

Conclusion

Guided reflective writing emerges as an effective pedagogical tool for making stereotypes visible and challenging them from early stages of professional training. The inclusion of lesser-studied biases—such as rejection based on hygiene or physical appearance—underscores the need to systematically integrate critical educational approaches that foster clinical practice grounded in equity and human dignity.