Assessing Attitudes Toward Biophysics Content in University Health Education: A Colombian Sample

Medical students often perceive biophysics as irrelevant to clinical training. This study assessed first-year medical students’ attitudes toward biophysics using the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS), with attention to gender differences. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 198 first-year medical students (110 women, 88 men) at a Colombian university during the biophysics course in 2018. Favourability scores were calculated for eight CLASS categories and analyzed by gender using Mann–Whitney U tests with 95% confidence intervals. Overall favourability was 49.0% (95% CI: [46.8%, 51.1%]), with no significant gender difference (U = 5213.5, p = 0.351, r = −0.08, 95% CI [−0.24, 0.09]). After Bonferroni correction (adjusted α = 0.0056), a significant gender difference was confirmed only in Personal Interest (men: 58.0%, women: 43.9%, p = 0.001). The difference in Real-World Connections (men: 64.2%, women: 54.3%, p = 0.048) did not survive correction. The lowest scores were in Applied Conceptual Understanding (34.4%) and Problem Solving Sophistication (37.1%). These 2018 baseline results indicate unfavorable attitudes toward conceptual application of biophysics, with women reporting lower personal interest; given the stability of epistemological beliefs and the absence of formal curricular reform since then, these patterns likely remain informative, though follow-up assessment is warranted. Biophysics curricula should emphasize clinical applications and employ active learning strategies to enhance engagement.