Prevalence of the Settlement of Medical Residences in the State of Tocantins in the Period 2013-2017

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Abstract: Introduction: The accomplishment of medical residency (MR) is a type of qualification considered to be the “gold standard” for medical specialization. Understanding whether there is actually greater professional settlement or not stimulated by MR and which factors hinder or contribute to the physician’s permanence in that place, are important information for the structuring of medical residency and health system programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of settlement of medical residents who finished the residency training in the state of Tocantins, after the implementation of medical residency programs in the period from 2013 to 2017. Method: This is an observational quantitative research, with a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical design, using the telematic technique and its own questionnaire, carried out with 44 medical residents that finished the medical residency program in the state of Tocantins. The project was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Tocantins (UFT) under Opinion number 2.292.540. Results: The prevalence of settlement was 65.9% of physicians in the state of Tocantins. Most residents were females (59.1%), with a mean age of 30.8 ± 3.1 years, income between 10 and 20 minimum wages (55.8%) and worked during their residency training (84.1%). The specialties that showed the highest settlement rates were general surgery and clinical medicine, and among these, the majority works for the private and state health networks. The main reason for not settling in Tocantins was to attend another residency or subspecialty program in another state (64.7%). Conclusion: The prevalence of medical residents that finished the residency and settled in Tocantins during the analyzed period can be considered high (65.9%). The fact that most of these individuals are young and female and the reason for not settling in the state are important indicators to be analyzed together with the settlement process and the offering of positions in the specialties available in Tocantins. The results of the study indicated a favorable and strategic perspective of the Medical Residency Programs (MRP) in the medical settlement in Tocantins, which cannot be generalized to the reality of such an unequal health system in the country. A larger public investment in the structuring of health network services is necessary, especially in the municipal network, in the organization of support and socioeconomic development of cities.