ABSTRACT
Introduction: The declaration of the pandemic in March 2020 has forced the world's universities to adapt to a new methodology based entirely on virtuality. Objective: To identify the impact generated by the virtualization of education on the academic performance of medical students in 2020. Methods: An observational, descriptive study with a cross-sectional. The data of the academic performance of the students of the fourth and fifth years of the years 2019 and 2020 were obtained anonymously from the university's database. The data were entered in Excel and analyzed by EpiInfo;qualitative variables were expressed as absolute and relative frequency, continuous ones as mean and standard deviation. The chi square test was used at a significance level of 0,05 to establish associations between variables. Results: In the fourth year regarding the pharmacology subject, the average percentage during 2020 was 80 %, in surgical semiology 87.3 % and in medical semiology 87.9 %. In the fifth year in terms of gynecology and obstetrics, the average percentage during 2020 was 92 %, in pediatrics 74.7 % and in medical clinic 89.6 %. Conclusion: There was a significant impact generated by the virtualization of education on the academic performance of medical students in 2020 compared to 2019. © 2022, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.