Medicine students' first contact with a basic health unit: An experience report

Abstract

Objectives: The aim was to observe and understand how the routine occurs in a basic health unit, contextualizing with the attributes of Primary Health Care. Methodology: This is an experience report based on the academic experience of medical students from the first period of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Paraíba, in the Basic Family Health Unit of the metropolitan region of João Pessoa/PB. The visits to the unit were carried out from March to May 2023, with written and photographic records in a field diary. Throughout the visits, there was knowledge of the territory and its coverage areas, the work routine of the multiprofessional team in the Family Health Strategy, monitoring the registration and registration of users in E-Sus, health education activities, elaboration and execution of a vaccination action. It was possible to observe the organization of basic health care networks and to develop educational actions with the community. Conclusion: This first practical contact with all the demands of the basic health unit during the first academic period is of great value, in order to develop practical skills for a professional training based on the principles of the Unified Health System, which are integrality, universality and equity, as well as a humanized training. Thus, there is a learning gain in the teamwork process and the latent recognition of the importance of social policies as preponderant actions in the effectiveness of public health policies and consequent improvement of the population's quality of life.