Abstract
Abstract: Introduction: Problem-based learning (PBL) is a collaborative student-centered learning method for small groups, based on the mobilization of previous knowledge and on critical reasoning for problem solving. Although it has been used predominantly in the classroom, when applied in clinical studies, PBL can increase the intrinsic motivation and long-term knowledge retention. In addition, Clinical PBL represents a more effective option to learn from practice considering the students’ overload in clinical clerkships in the Unified Health System (UHS). This study aimed to assess the students’ perception of a Clinical PBL model implemented in Primary Health Care (PHC) clerkships during the first four years of the Medical Course at the University of Ribeirão Preto (UNAERP) in 2017. Method: The primary outcome was assessed by the DREEM (Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure) tool, which contains 50 items distributed in five dimensions. The questionnaire was applied to 374 medical students, corresponding to 78% of the total number of medical students from the first to the fourth year. Results: For most of the evaluated items, the students’ perceptions were “positive”, including the dimensions “Perception of Teachers”, “Perception of Academic Results” and “Perception of the General Environment”. For the dimensions “Perception of Learning” and “Perception of Social Relationships” the evaluation was “more positive than negative”. The DREEM total score was 124.31, corresponding to 62.15% of the maximum score, which indicates a perception that is “more positive than negative” regarding the Clinical PBL. The internal consistency given by Cronbach’s alpha was 0.92. Conclusion: The use of Clinical PBL in PHC qualifies learning from practice, is well accepted by medical students and offers a useful option to the students’ overload in the clinical clerkship during the first four years of the Medical School.
Highlights
Problem-based learning (PBL) is a collaborative student-centered learning method for small groups, based on the mobilization of previous knowledge and on critical reasoning for problem solving
The seven classic steps described by Henk Schmidt for the PBL method are: the clarification of unknown terms (1), the identification of problems (2) and their discussion based on previous knowledge (3), the summary and the hypotheses generated from the discussion (4), the creation of learning objectives based on knowledge gaps (5), the search for information through self-directed study (6) and rediscussing the case by the integration of new knowledge (7)
Many clinical clerkships are developed in Primary Health Care (PHC) environments, a learning space shared by other courses in the health area, such as nursing, physiotherapy, and pharmacy
Summary
Problem-based learning (PBL) is a collaborative student-centered learning method for small groups, based on the mobilization of previous knowledge and on critical reasoning for problem solving. It has been used predominantly in the classroom, when applied in clinical studies, PBL can increase the intrinsic motivation and long-term knowledge retention. The seven classic steps described by Henk Schmidt for the PBL method are: the clarification of unknown terms (1), the identification of problems (2) and their discussion based on previous knowledge (3), the summary and the hypotheses generated from the discussion (4), the creation of learning objectives based on knowledge gaps (5), the search for information through self-directed study (6) and rediscussing the case by the integration of new knowledge (7). Problem situations can correspond to clinical cases[3] or biomedical phenomena[5]
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