Introduction:

Student mobility is one of the strategies of the internationalization process with the greatest impact in higher education institutions currently. It represents both benefits and unquestionable challenges that are increasing in Latin American and Caribbean countries. It is increasingly evident in global educational policies because it enriches educational experience and fosters cooperation and understanding among institutions.

Objective:

To identify the generalities of student mobility, as well as its main challenges, obstacles and benefits, according to current scientific evidence.

Methods:

An exploratory systematic-review methodology was used, by posing scientific questions. A literature search was carried out of what was published in the period from 2015 to 2024. The employed information sources were Google Scholar and PubMed. The employed keywords were movilidad estudiantil, internacionalización and formación médica; while, in English, they employed keywords were student mobility AND internationalization AND medical training. The inclusion criteria considered articles from the defined period that responded to the selected keywords in Spanish and English, and from journals in PubMed. A total of 23 articles were selected.

Results:

Indicators of student mobility in Latin America are given by economic constraints, living conditions and political violence. The main benefits of student mobility are, among others, cultural exchange, comprehensive training and the development of socioemotional competencies.

Conclusions:

Although student mobility represents a real potentiality in current training, in order to execute it, there are some challenges intensified in Latin American countries.

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