Free postgraduate training in laboratory medicine: the evolving experience of virtual courses for emergency care.

Authors

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6018/edumed.735641
Keywords: postgraduate education

Abstract

Objective: To describe the experience of a virtual, synchronous, free postgraduate course for emergency clinical laboratory biochemists and technicians, and to analyze changes in participants' profile, their perception of the course, and quality indicators across four cohorts (2023-2026). Methods: Observational study combining the follow-up of 377 enrollments with a repeated satisfaction survey (Google Forms), sent with the completion certificate and answered by those who completed the course (n=142; 2023-2025 cohorts). The association between completion and profession, work sector (public vs. non-public), jurisdiction, and emergency experience was assessed using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test, with Benjamini-Hochberg (FDR) correction. Perception indicators (1-5 Likert scale) were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results: Completion rates were 45.3% (2023), 55.4% (2024), 60.2% (2025), and 60.2% (2026), with no significant differences between cohorts (p_FDR=0.297). Completion was associated with work sector (public 60.1% vs. non-public 36.9%; OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.48-4.47; p_FDR=0.005), but not with profession, jurisdiction, or emergency experience. Overall, 23.3% of enrollments never attended a single class and 20.7% started the course without completing it. Perception of the course was high and stable (perceived usefulness 4.6-4.8/5), with no differences by profile (minimum p_FDR=0.16) and no changes among those who answered the survey in more than one cohort (n=29; all p_FDR>0.6). Technicians and participants without emergency experience more frequently reported that the course exceeded their expectations (p_FDR=0.035 and 0.046, respectively). Overall, 29.8% re-enrolled in subsequent editions, with higher re-enrollment among those who had completed the course (48-64%) than among those who had not completed or never started it (4-24%). Conclusions: Satisfaction with this free postgraduate course was high, homogeneous across profiles, and sustained across all editions. Completion differed significantly by work sector, suggesting that factors beyond free tuition influence the ability to complete continuing education.

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Published
26-10-2026
How to Cite
Vaccino, C. A., Vallejos Rojas, N., & Gonzalez Acosta, A. (2026). Free postgraduate training in laboratory medicine: the evolving experience of virtual courses for emergency care. Spanish Journal of Medical Education, 7(6). https://doi.org/10.6018/edumed.735641
Issue
Vol. 7 No. 6 (2026): Spanish Journal of Medical Education
Section
Artículos

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