Grupos de interés y semilleros de investigación en cirugía: Una referencia para LATAM a través de la experiencia en Colombia

Introduction. Interest groups in surgery and its subspecialties have gained wide acceptance within the academic community since their recognition and creation. In Colombia, the success of these groups has driven their expansion and their integration into the Colombian Association of Surgery. They have shown to facilitate access to mentoring, surgical skills development, academic reinforcement and research opportunities from early stages of medical training. Methods. A consensus process was carried out among the leaders of the Chapter of Future Surgeons of the Colombian Association of Surgery, with the purpose of evaluating relevant aspects for the creation and development of academic interest groups in general surgery and its subspecialties. Results. A practical guide was consolidated that includes seven fundamental recommendations for the creation, operation, projection and sustainability of academic interest groups in general surgery and subspecialties. Conclusion. The existing literature highlights the importance of interest groups as valuable tools for both students and general practitioners, to inspire the next generations of medical professionals to consider specialization in surgery. This manuscript aims to be a standardized and replicable guide, intended to support the development of similar initiatives in other institutions, countries and academic contexts.