This article included residents of the specialty of anesthesiology who were evaluated with the Herrmann brain quadrant test to determine the learning style of each one of them based on the predominant cerebral hemisphere, as mentioned by Luc Rousseau and Torrijos-Muelas in their respective studies, knowing which hemisphere is most used by people helps to understand the individual differences in each learning process [13, 14].
In the population study, it was found that the quadrant with the greatest predominance was the left cortical (30%), with greater dominance in the female sex in the third year, which speaks of rational people, who prefer teaching based on evidence and facts before experimentation. The research by Iqbal Hydrie and Lundell Rudberg, which discusses the study preference of medical and nursing students, based on Kolbs' method, indicates that most of the participants had a preference for divergent learning, which tends to be concrete and reflective, so we can compare the relationship between the two studies, finding a similarity between the use of the left hemisphere and the preference for learning based on an environment where reflection can take place before it is carried out; however, our study did not find a significant difference in terms of the sex of the participants, since there was a male predominance [15, 16].
The double dominance of the left hemisphere (left cortical and left limbic) was the second most predominant, representing 22%, which has a fusion in the preference for rational and organized learning. According to the studies carried out by Sohrabi, Sha,ik, and Olsson, they mention that the "accommodative" style is largely found in medical students, in agreement with what was described above. It also mentions that those pigeonholed in this style tend to be concrete and active, in this hemisphere [17–19].
In third place was found the double cortical dominance (left cortical and right cortical) at 22%, placing them within the rational and experiential category. Czepula and Wong talk in their study about Honey-Mumford's learning styles; which are classified into active, reflective, theoretical, and pragmatic. Both mentioned that the majority of their study population was categorized as pragmatists, described as people who manage to discover strategies and verify if these are efficient and valid. These are related to the result found in our sample, where only 22% of the pragmatic category was reported, differing from that reported in Wong's study [20, 21].
Comparing the years of residence and the dominant hemispheres, a significant difference was found: in the 3rd year residents, both the left cortical and the double dominance of the left hemisphere were found in equal percentages, while the 2nd year residents presented more on the cortical side (LC/RC). This tells us about a preference for rational and organized learning in the older generation, while in the younger generation, there was a preference for rational and experimental learning. Hu and Xu, in their studies, mention that learning styles are influenced by the environment and discipline of the students, which can vary between generations, even when the same thing is being studied, so we can conclude that the difference in learning styles in residents of different generations makes sense [22, 23].
Regarding the chosen study model, it was possible to differentiate the cerebral quadrants based on their character, their way of thinking, and how knowledge is acquired individually.
Our study is limited by the small size of the population studied, which prevents a significant comparison between age and sex, as well as the frequency of the predominant quadrant depending on the generation of residence. While not relevant to our study, this information may be valuable for future research.
Our study is unique as it focuses on a specific population. We have discovered a connection between dominant hemispheres and learning styles, particularly concerning medical specialty training. This provides valuable insights into how this particular group learns. As a result of our findings, we have developed tools to enhance the learning process.