EDITORIAL
SOCUMI Matanzas: The Student Scientific Group of Undergraduate and Graduate studies that sets the direction
SOCUMI Matanzas: El Grupo Científico Estudiantil de pre y posgrado que marca rumbo
Yasmany Salazar Rodríguez 1* https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0581-847X
Junior Vega Jiménez 1 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6801-5191
Lisneybi González González 2 https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0734-2847
Adianez de los Milagros Jiménez Álvarez 1 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0603-1276
1 Revolutionary Armed Forces University of Medical Sciences. Mario Muñoz Monroy Military Hospital. Matanzas, Cuba.
2 Matanzas University of Medical Sciences. Mario Muñoz Monroy Military Hospital. Matanzas, Cuba.
* Corresponding author: yasmanyailen@gmail.com
Received: 29/09/2025
Accepted: 25/10/2025
How to cite this article: Salazar-Rodríguez Y; Vega-Jiménez J; González-González L; Jiménez-Álvarez AdlM. SOCUMI Matanzas: The Student Scientific Group of Undergraduate and Graduate studies that sets the direction. MedEst. [Internet]. 2025 [cited access date]; 5:e441. Available in: https://revmedest.sld.cu/index.php/medest/article/view/441
Dear readers:
In the dynamic Cuban academic landscape, student science has begun to pave the way for a new research and collaboration horizon in the province of Matanzas. (1) The emergence of the Student Scientific Group (SGCE) of undergraduate and graduate studies within the Matanzas chapter of the Cuban Society of Internal Medicine (SOCUMI) not only represents an organizational initiative but also an act of commitment to critical thinking, responsible research, and professional development within the classrooms of the Matanzas University of Medical Sciences and through pre-professional internships at each hospital institution.
This group was initially formed within the Matanzas chapter of SOCUMI at the proposal of its current board of directors (president: Dr. Junior Vega Jiménez; vice president: Dr. C. Aida García Güell; secretary: Dr. Yasmany Salazar Rodríguez; and treasurer: Dr. Jorge Luis Delgado Morejón) to bring together young undergraduates in the specialty as a scientific pool for the chapter's membership.
In this sense, the GCEs must fulfill substantive functions: teaching, university outreach, and research. (1) For this reason, the organizational structure of this GCE was complemented with student assistants, vertical interns, and residents in the specialty of Internal Medicine. Therefore, the name of the Student Scientific Group for undergraduate and graduate studies was decided upon to encompass each level of teaching. This allows for diversity and the development of interdisciplinarity. (2,3,4)
Its legal framework was based on elements of Article 148 of Resolution 2/2018 of the Ministry of Higher Education (MES), which is directed at the creation of the GCEs. Article 239 also mentions the student research assistant. (1)
Considering the above, the Student Scientific Group for undergraduate and graduate students of the Matanzas chapter of SOCUMI was established on September 23, 2025, with the main objective of uniting students passionate about the specialty of Internal Medicine from the province of Matanzas, under the principle of voluntariness, and introducing them to the world of scientific research.
As highlighted by García-Herrera and Moliner-Cartaya (1); Gálvez-Vila and Gallego-Sánchez (5); Naranjo-Lima and Tremols-Mesa (6), "the central role is played by the students, and the support of faculty advisors is optional." In this sense, the Student Scientific Group for undergraduate and graduate students of the Matanzas chapter of SOCUMI has the full support of the members of the Matanzas chapter of SOCUMI and its board of directors, taking into account the importance of mentoring or advising in research learning. (6)
The student will also have the support of each student's tutors, which will serve as an invaluable source of teaching and research value, as well as influence the motivation of the GCE members to pursue the Internal Medicine specialty.
Taking into account the SOCUMI Regulations and compliance with the conceptual foundations of Plan E for the Medicine program (1), essential requirements were established for the selection of GCE members:
1. Membership of the "Mario Muñoz" Student Assistant Movement for the Internal Medicine specialty.
2. Maintain good academic grades and integrity.
3. Achieve at least one publication per year related to the specialty.
4. Participation in scientific conferences and events for the Internal Medicine specialty.
Within this framework, the board of directors of the Matanzas chapter of SOCUMI, selected from the curriculum sheets delivered to the members and the board of directors of the GCE of pre and postgraduate of the Matanzas chapter of SOCUMI:
Board of Directors:
· President: Lisneybi González González
· Vice-President: José Antonio Méndez Fiallo
· Secretary: Yonathan Estrada Rodríguez
· Treasurer: Thais de la Caridad Roca Alvarez
Members:
1. Thais de la Caridad Roca Alvarez
2. Raúl Campo González
3. Marian Fariñas Sánchez
4. José Alfredo Gallego Sánchez
5. Nathalie García Ortíz
6. Víctor Luis Rojas Moreno
7. Yonathan Estrada Rodríguez
8. Lisneybi González González
9. Amanda Enríquez Pérez
10. Aliuska Cadet Cobas
11. Elizabeth de los Ángeles González Ochoa
12. Anyelis Bueno Tamayo
13. Melanie Bárbara Cruz Valero
14. Claudia Lorena Santiago Soto
15. Thalía Acanda Rodríguez
16. José Ángel Domínguez Pequeño
17. Damarys Batista López
18. Gabriela González Pérez
19. Yeleni Pérez Hernández
20. José Antonio Méndez Fiallo
Analyzing the aforementioned curricula, found in the archives of the Matanzas chapter of SOCUMI, the authors believe that the GCE began with a small initial group, but with research skills consistent with the current needs of the university and with integrity. This will undoubtedly encourage not only the incorporation of other students into the specialty, but will also foster student scientific production in the province of Matanzas.
In line with the creation of the GCE, the logo that will identify the undergraduate and graduate GCE of the Matanzas chapter of SOCUMI was created and approved during the same period. The logo maintained the central idea of the chapter and the national SOCUMI logo and incorporated elements that distinguish student scientific activity. (Figure 1) It should be noted that it has already been certified by the National Center for Copyright and Performing Artist Rights (CENDAAI) with registration number 1001-10-2025.
Figure.1 Logo of the undergraduate and graduate student scientific group of the Matanzas chapter of SOCUMI
Through consultations (1,5,6) on the experiences of other student groups in the province, the main functions to be performed were established: fostering interest in research among students, facilitating access to scientific resources and methodologies, strengthening the communication and critical skills of its members, fostering motivation for the study of the Internal Medicine specialty, and increasing teaching outcomes and the comprehensive training of its members.
In times when science demands creative, ethical, and collaborative responses, this group stands as both a promise and a reality: young physicians dedicated to Internal Medicine are ready to research, propose, and lead. The Student Scientific Group of the Matanzas chapter of SOCUMI (Pre- and Postgraduate Studies) is consolidating as a space for training, dialogue, and action, where they come together to debate and build knowledge with a social impact, which will undoubtedly achieve widespread adoption not only in the province of Matanzas but also nationally.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES
1. García-Herrera AL, Moliner-Cartaya M. Los Grupos científico estudiantiles y su contribución al perfil del egresado. MedEst [Internet]. 2025 [cited 29/09/2025]; 5:e317. Available in: https://revmedest.sld.cu/index.php/medest/article/view/317
2. Alemán-Marichal BY, Izquierdo-Barceló Y, Suárez-Díaz RM, Encinas-Alemán LT. La interdisciplinariedad en la formación de los estudiantes de la carrera de Medicina. MedEst [Internet]. 2024 [cited 29/09/2025]; 4(2):e217. Available in: https://revmedest.sld.cu/index.php/medest/article/view/217
3. Mondéjar Rodríguez JJ, Fierro Chong BM, Aguirre Azahares N, Salazar Rodríguez Y. La formación integral de los profesionales desde una perspectiva neuroeducativa. XI Taller Internacional sobre la Formación Universitaria de Profesionales de la Educación [Internet] 2025. [cited 29/09/2025]; 34. Available in: http://rein.umcc.cu/handle/123456789/4418
4. Estrada Rodríguez Y, Salazar Rodríguez Y, Placeres Hernández JF. Desarrollo de habilidades investigativas en residentes de medicina familiar, un camino hacia la excelencia profesional. Rev cuba med gen integr [Internet]. 2024 [cited 29/09/2025];40(1). Available in: https://revmgi.sld.cu/index.php/mgi/article/view/3523
5. Gálvez-Vila RM, Gallego-Sánchez JA. Impacto del Grupo Científico Estudiantil CIENTUMat de la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Matanzas. MedEst [Internet]. 2025 [cited 29/09/2025];5:e290. Available in: https://revmedest.sld.cu/index.php/medest/article/view/290
6. Naranjo-Lima S, Tremols-Mesa A. Sociedad Científica Estudiantil de Imagenología de Matanzas: una nueva oportunidad de llevar la investigación al pregrado. MedEst [Internet]. 2025 [cited 29/09/2025];5:e318. Available in: https://revmedest.sld.cu/index.php/medest/article/view/318
AUTHORSHIP STATEMENT
YSR: Conceptualization, research, methodology, project administration, validation, writing of the original draft, review, editing.
JVJ: Conceptualization, research, methodology, validation, review.
LGG: Conceptualization, research, methodology, validation, review.
AMJA: Conceptualization, research, methodology, validation, review.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
SOURCES OF FUNDING
The authors did not receive any funding for the development of this article.