Health Professionals’ Perceptions on the Integration of Medical Students’ Training in Family Health Care Units

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction The Centro Universitário de Votuporanga (UNIFEV) medicine course was implemented in 2012 according to the 2001 National Curricular Guidelines for Undergraduate Medical Courses. The practical module of Community Service Education Integration is the curricular unit that places students into Primary Health Care (PHC) scenarios from the first period of the course until the internship period, breaking with the traditional model of hospital-centered training, which is segmented into specialties. The module of medical skills and attitudes training also leads the student, in some cases, to PHC services, but with focus on the basic clinical procedures in controlled scenarios, which may be those from typical clinical practice, simulations or even those performed in laboratories. During internship, the student continues in PHC as an intern in general, family and community medicine. In this context, the integration of community-education-service plays a major role in the transformations undergone in undergraduate training in health, which are also aimed at modifying the current healthcare model. Objectives To understand the perception of professionals from the Family Health Care Units regarding medical student work placement and to interpret the results of this integration as far as the service, the community and the medical training are concerned. Methodology Qualitative research carried out with health professionals who work in three Family Health Care Units of Votuporanga, São Paulo, Brazil. They were invited to participate in focus groups to express their opinions about thought-provoking questions. The recorded material was transcribed, organized and analyzed according to Bardin’s content analysis, which allowed categories of analysis to emerge based on what the participants said. Results and discussion: The opinions that have emerged allow to identify the following aspects: teaching-service-community integration contributes to medical education; student presence promotes team integration and self-learning and promotes the work process; student integration has impact on the community. Among the student’s contributions, participants highlighted the academic and health care reflective practices, health education actions and complementary activities that support the health team in solving local problems. Participants also identified some situations of difficulty, such as: students in the early periods of the course need to acquire affective domains for an adequate professional posture at PHC units; the embarrassment of patients in the medical consultation with the presence of students; and the short length of stay of the students for the necessary bond building. Conclusion For PHC professionals, the inclusion of students in these scenarios contributes to the development of the service, medical training and community support. Due to the solidary relations existing between the educational institution and the PHC management, this research may contribute to promote the necessary adaptations and prepare the community and professionals for the presence of students in PHC.