[Risk factors for students desertion from the UASLP School of Medicine, México]. / Factores de riesgo para la deserción de estudiantes en la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad auTónoma de San Luís Potosí (UASLP), México.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain the profile of students that deserted from the Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosi, México. DESIGN: Cases and controls nested in a cohort. METHODS: All students that voluntarily deserted between 1992 and 2002 were consulted. Each student was compared in an aleatory form with a regular student and a proper questionnaire was applied. RESULTS: The significantly associated factors to abandon the Faculty of Medicine were: high school of origin (OR=2.43), extra-ordinary exam (OR=3.13), and lack of vocation (OR=2.41). CONCLUSION: The subjacent factors for not deserting from the Faculty of Medicine were: study habits, capacity for sustained effort, and tolerance to frustration.