Education in Colombia and Latin America is characterized by significant gaps in the quality of education as measured by standardized test scores. This paper assesses the impact of a Colombian program called SaberEs, which strengthens preparation for standardized cognitive tests such as the high school exit exam in Colombia (Saber 11) for low socioeconomic status students. The program provides competency-based training sessions to develop skills for analyzing and solving specific types of questions within school hours. Our difference-in-differences estimates show that SaberEs increased Saber 11 scores by 2.22 ranks (or 0.074 standard deviations), which implies that the socioeconomic achievement gap was reduced by 23% regarding the control schools. Also, students affected by the program experienced a significant increase in access to tertiary education and merit-based scholarships in Colombia.

This paper provides new insights into the initial career trajectories of Colombian healthcare professionals, analyzing their health risks, labor market outcomes, and graduate school enrollment. Leveraging comprehensive longitudinal administrative records for 77.900 physicians, nurses, dentists, and bacteriologists, we employ a staggered event study framework to examine their early-life trajectories before and after their bachelor studies between 2008 and 2022. Key findings reveal that the prevalence of mental disorders increases for dentists and nurses after graduation, whereas for physicians, it decreases. Furthermore, our analysis sheds light on the limited evidence concerning adverse health trajectories, uncovering increased probabilities of emergency room visits and hospitalizations after graduation, particularly for nurses. Finally, our findings reveal substantial returns in the labor market for health professionals, with persisting gender wage gaps and disparities in postgraduate enrollment.