Medical Education In Brazil Research Articles

Medical students and controversial ethical issues: results from the multicenter study SBRAME.

BackgroundMedical students(MS) will face ethical issues throughout their lives as doctors. The present study aims to investigate medical students’ opinions on controversial ethical issues and factors associated with these opinions.MethodsSBRAME (Spirituality and Brazilian Medical Education) is a multicenter study involving 12 Brazilian medical schools with 5950 MS. Participants completed a questionnaire that collected information on socio-demographic data, medical schools characteristics, religious beliefs and opinions on controversial ethical issues. Of all MS, 3630 participated in the survey (61.0%).ResultsThe sample was 53.8% women and the mean age was 22.5 years. In general, most MS have no objections to prescription of birth control (90.8%), adult stem cell use (87.5%), embryonic stem cell use (82.0%) and abortion for genetic reasons (51.2%). Approximately half of students have no objections to human cloning (47.3%), 45.7% to withdrawal of artificial life support, 41.4% to euthanasia and 23.3% to abortion for failed contraception. Socio-demographic data such as age, gender and income had little influence on MS opinions. On the other hand, medical schools characteristics (number of medical students in the university, year of medical school foundation, location of the university and type of university) and religious aspects (religious affiliation, religious attendance, non-organizational religiousness and intrinsic religiousness) were highly correlated with their opinions. In general, MS with more supportive opinions on controversial ethical issues were less religious and from non-traditional (newer), urban, public and bigger universities.ConclusionThe current study reveals MS have different opinions regarding controversial ethical issues. Noteworthy, these opinions seem to be shaped more by university characteristics and religious beliefs than socio-demographic data.

Inequalities in healthcare and medical education in Brazil

Brazil is a continental country with its population concentrated in the coastal, urban areas. After two decades of rule by military government, a new constitution was ratified in 1988, and with it came a public health system that was free of charge to the Brazilian population. Although the public healthcare system has contributed to a steady and widespread improvement in health indices over the past three decades, large inequalities persist. For example, a Lancet article in 2011 reported that child mortality rate in Northeastern Brazil was 2.24 times higher than in Southern Brazil.1 Most medical education takes place in the public health system. Medical students like me are able to see at first …

Produção científica sobre educação médica no Brasil: estudo a partir das publicações da Revista Brasileira de Educação Médica

A pesquisa em educação médica é o estudo crítico e sistemático do ensino e aprendizagem em Medicina. É um campo em crescimento, em número tanto de pesquisadores envolvidos, como de produções geradas. No Brasil, a Revista Brasileira de Educação Médica (RBEM) é o principal meio de divulgação científica da pesquisa da área. Este estudo visa caracterizar a pesquisa em educação médica brasileira a partir das publicações da RBEM no período de 2006 a 2010. Neste período, houve um crescimento de 117,6%, com média de 60,4 artigos por ano, com crescente participação proporcional de pesquisas inéditas. A Região Sudeste e instituições públicas têm a maior participação nos artigos. Os descritores mais utilizados foram "educação médica", "estudantes de Medicina" e "currículo". O crescimento da RBEM espelha o desenvolvimento da pesquisa em educação médica brasileira, seguindo a lógica da produção científica nacional.

Medical students, spirituality and religiosity-results from the multicenter study SBRAME

BackgroundTo evaluate the relationship between spirituality/religiosity (S/R) and the attitudes, beliefs and experiences of medical students in Brazil with respect to S/R in their undergraduate training and clinical practice.MethodsSBRAME (Spirituality and Brazilian Medical Education) is a multicenter study involving 12 Brazilian medical schools with 5950 medical students (MS). Participants completed a questionnaire that collected information on socio-demographic data and S/R in their undergraduate training and practice.ResultsOf all MS, 3630 participated in the survey (61.0%). The sample was 53.8% women and the mean age was 22.5 years. The majority of MS believed that spirituality has an impact on patients’ health (71.2%) and that this impact was positive (68.2%). The majority also wanted to address S/R in their clinical practice (58.0%) and considered it relevant (75.3%), although nearly one-half (48.7%) felt unprepared to do so. Concerning their training, most MS reported that they had never participated in a “spirituality and health” activity (81.0%) and that their medical instructors had never or rarely addressed this issue (78.3%). The majority also believed that they should be prepared to address spiritual issues related to the health of their patients (61.6%) and that this content should be included in the medical curriculum (62.6%).ConclusionThere is a large gap between MS attitudes and expectations and the S/R training that they are receiving during their undergraduate training. The majority of MS surveyed believe that patients should have their beliefs addressed and that these beliefs could have important effects on their health and the doctor-patient relationship. These results should stimulate discussion about the place that S/R training should have in the medical curriculum.

Health System and Medical Education in Brazil: History, Principles, and Organization

Health System and Medical Education in Brazil: History, Principles, and Organization

1015 Understanding the Teaching of Pediatrics in Graduation in Medicine in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Background and AimsThe movement of transformation through which passes the medical education in Brazil prompted us to understand and describe soma aspects the Pediatric Education in medical undergraduate.MethodsFor this we...

Ethics Education in Research Involving Human Beings in Undergraduate Medicine Curriculum in Brazil

The Brazilian national curriculum guidelines for undergraduate medicine courses inspired and influenced the groundwork for knowledge acquisition, skills development and the perception of ethical values in the context of professional conduct. The evaluation of ethics education in research involving human beings in undergraduate medicine curriculum in Brazil, both in courses with active learning processes and in those with traditional lecture learning methodologies. Curricula and teaching projects of 175 Brazilian medical schools were analyzed using a retrospective historical and descriptive exploratory cohort study. Thirty one medical schools were excluded from the study because of incomplete information or a refusal to participate. Active research for information from institutional sites and documents was guided by terms based on 69 DeCS/MeSH descriptors. Curriculum information was correlated with educational models of learning such as active learning methodologies, tutorial discussions with integrated curriculum into core modules, and traditional lecture learning methodologies for large classes organized by disciplines and reviewed by occurrence frequency of ethical themes and average hourly load per semester. Ninety-five medical schools used traditional learning methodologies. The ten most frequent ethical themes were: 1--ethics in research (26); 2--ethical procedures and advanced technology (46); 3--ethic-professional conduct (413). Over 80% of schools using active learning methodologies had between 50 and 100 hours of scheduled curriculum time devoted to ethical themes whereas more than 60% of traditional learning methodology schools devoted less than 50 hours in curriculum time to ethical themes. The data indicates that medical schools that employ more active learning methodologies provide more attention and time to ethical themes than schools with traditional discipline-based methodologies. Given the importance of ethical issues in contemporary medical education, these findings are significant for curriculum change and modification plans in the future of Brazilian medical education.

A formação do professor de Medicina como "intelectual": uma análise crítica

As diretrizes curriculares nacionais de 2001 demandam uma consistente formação em humanidades por parte do egresso da graduação em Medicina. A fim de cumprir essa exigência, caberia ao docente uma nova tarefa frente ao alunato, além da produção de conhecimento científico, capacitação profissional e formação ética. Diante dessa premissa, portanto, restaria ao professor de Medicina tomar posse de surpreendente atributo, o de ser um "intelectual". Este artigo apresenta uma análise crítica da viabilidade dessa "missão iluminista" relativa ao ensino médico brasileiro no século XXI, a partir de pressupostos históricos de formação docente tanto no Brasil quanto no exterior.

Student views of research training programmes in medical schools

Research activity is not a mandatory component of medical education in many developing countries, including Brazil, although such experiences can have a positive impact on the quality of medical education. The interest and involvement of medical students in research and the barriers they face in accessing research training in developing countries have not been adequately addressed. We sought to assess the availability of scientific training programmes in Brazilian medical schools, the degree of involvement of medical students in these programmes, the main barriers to student involvement in research and possible reasons for the lack of scientific training programmes. This study examined 13 medical programmes conducted in six Brazilian states. A total of 1004 medical students were interviewed. We evaluated the availability of scientific training in the institutions attended by these students, the participation of the students in such activities and students' reasons for not joining such programmes based on student answers to our questionnaire. Although only 7% of the medical students expressed no interest in research, only 60% of them were involved in research training. Students regarded a lack of institutional incentive as the most significant barrier to their participation in research activities. Other significant barriers included defective infrastructure and insufficient time available for professors to mentor undergraduate students. According to the feedback from the students, eight of the 13 schools investigated featured structured programmes for scientific training. However, a mean of only 47% of students participated in scientific training programmes on their campuses and 13% of students were compelled to pursue such activities off-campus. Although scientific training during medical education in Brazil is still less frequent than expected, most of the students were interested in research activities. The barriers to undergraduate scientific training described in this paper may help the Brazilian government improve research training in medical schools. These issues might also be explored in other developing countries.

Ensino médico, SUS e início da profissão: como se sente quem está se formando?

A construção do SUS e o crescimento do nosso país têm suscitado uma discussão maior sobre mudanças no ensino médico. Iniciativas para implementar as Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais aumentam o cardápio de estratégias de mudanças na preparação do fu turo médico. Para compreender melhor essas modificações, aplicamos questionários in locu a 1.004 alunos do internato de Medicina em 13 cursos médicos de seis Estados brasileiros entre 2004 e 2007, e realizamos entrevistas com alunos, docentes e gestores de Saúde. Neste artigo, destacamos o que pensam os formandos a respeito de sua formação no começo de sua atuação profissional. Aproximadamente 19% dos alunos se sentem aptos ao exercício imediato da medicina; 81% querem buscar formação complementar; 63% desejam ser "especialistas"; só 20% querem trabalhar em medicina geral, como o PSF, e apenas 5% querem trabalhar em pequenos municípios. Há discrepâncias entre o que os alunos querem fazer, como se sentem preparados e o que acabarão por fazer. Este estudo fornece dados que podem ajudar na melhoria da educação médica de acordo com as demandas do SUS e na integração ensino-serviços-comunidade.

Formação profissional no SUS: o papel da Atenção Básica em Saúde na perspectiva docente

A educação médica tem sofrido profundas críticas quanto à necessidade de diversificar os cenários de ensino-aprendizagem para que se construam novos currículos e sujeitos, possibilitando-lhes a inser ção num processo pedagógico reflexivo e dinâmico. O objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar a percepção que docentes da Unidade de Prática Profissional da Faculdade de Medicina de Marília têm acerca do papel que a Atenção Básica de Saúde (ABS) desempenha na formação profissional dos estudantes. Realizou-se um estudo qualitativo por meio de grupos focais com análise de discurso dos sujeitos entrevistados. Construíram-se três categorias: o papel da ABS na construção do SUS; o papel do SUS na formação profissional de novos sujeitos; o papel docente na construção profissional de novos sujeitos. Considera-se fundamental o papel exercido pela ABS na formação dos profissionais de saúde, notadamente profissionais críticos e reflexivos, destacando-se o papel transformador e emancipador que o docente exerce nessa formação.

Educação médica continuada online: potencial e desafios no cenário brasileiro

Com a intensa produção e veiculação de informações científicas, tornou-se difícil para o profissional médico manter-se atualizado com os recursos habituais. A necessidade de conhecer e de participar de processos de formação continuada se impõe. Entre outras iniciativas, a Associação Médica Brasileira e o Conselho Federal de Medicina lançaram o Programa Nacional de Educação Continuada a Distância para médicos, buscando divulgar o conhecimento produzido nos grandes centros para profissionais de áreas mais remotas ou com reduzida disponibilidade de tempo. Tendo como pressu posto que a Sociedade do Conhecimento requer a formação inicial e continuada de profissionais e de cidadãos com um novo conjunto de competências para atuar com eficiência e responsabilidade, esses programas devem ser desenvolvidos com base em abordagens pedagógicas que efetivamente valorizem, além dos conteúdos de ensino, a disposição para a pesquisa, a autonomia na busca da informação, o espírito colaborativo e a postura ética, entre outras. No intuito de contribuir para essa reflexão, este texto tem por objetivos retomar o processo de formalização da educação médica continuada a distância no Brasil em termos didático-pedagógicos e analisar perspectivas dessas ações educativas.

Teste de concordância de scripts: uma proposta para a avaliação do raciocínio clínico em contextos de incerteza

A avaliação do raciocínio clínico em situações de incerteza é pouco pesquisada na educação médica. Os testes escritos mais aplicados são de múltipla escolha, capazes de avaliar como se lida com problemas bem definidos. Porém, a maioria das situações contém incertezas. Um método de avaliação do raciocínio clínico em contextos de incerteza foi desenvolvido a partir da teoria de scripts, com situações em geriatria. Um grupo de especialistas e um grupo de estudantes de graduação resolveram o teste. Acomparação entre os resultados trouxe indícios da validade do instrumento, capaz de diferenciar o raciocínio relacionado ao nível de experiência profissional. A média dos escores dos especialistas (80,41) foi superior à dos estudantes (70,71), p < 0,001. As análises de consistência interna e um estudo G forneceram resultados que estão de acordo com metodologias que buscam avaliar uma competência profissional. Concluiu-se que uma proposta de teste de concordância de scripts em língua portuguesa aplicado em uma instituição de ensino brasileira pode ser uma alternativa para a avaliação do raciocínio clínico em contextos de incerteza.

Surgical Education in Brazil

The surgical residency was implemented in Brazil in 1944. Gradually, several programs were created under the auspices of the National Committee of Medical Residency (Comissão Nacional de Residência). A candidate for a residency program is submitted to a selection process in various institutions. One of the greatest obstacles to medical education in Brazil is that the number of graduate students is much larger than the number of available vacancies. As a consequence, they end up looking for other alternatives to their professional training, and these cannot offer the same results as a formal residency. Regarding the current residency program in surgery, Brazil has roughly 200 general surgery programs, which offer 1,040 vacancies yearly. The surgical residency program lasts 2 years with rotation in various surgical specialties, which is a requirement for the following years in specific specialties. The 1,040 who are enrolled in the first 2 years of a residency in surgery take a new examination to continue their training. Here, there are only 573 vacancies; therefore, 45% of the newly trained surgeons start a practice or become apprentices. The 573 residents who move on to further education then pass 2 years in basic general surgery at an institution and continue in the same or are transferred to another department. The next training period should be 2 or 3 years, depending on the specialty. The General Surgery program lasts 4 years: two initial basic years and two more years of training in elective, emergency, and trauma surgery and intensive care. The objective is to become competent in the diagnosis and treatment of the most common diseases that affect the community. Medical entities in specialties have their own selection process to grant the title of specialist. The Brazilian College of Surgeons (Colégio Brasileiro de Cirurgiões) is responsible for granting the title "general surgeon," following the model of the American Board of Surgery.

Considerações sobre o ensino médico no Brasil: consequências afetivo-emocionais nos estudantes

Faz-se uma revisão não exaustiva da evolução do ensino médico no Brasil desde sua origem, passando pelas inúmeras reformas praticadas, que buscam melhorar a formação técnica dos estudantes. Chama-se a atenção para o fato de nessas reformas nunca terem sido referidas questões como o bem-estar e a saúde mental dos alunos. O curso de Medicina sempre foi considerado estressante, mas a preocupação com esse aspecto é recente na história. Alguns estudos tentam identificar a fase do curso mais estressante, e a maioria indica a primeira série do ciclo clínico. Outros tentam apontar os fatores mais responsáveis pelo estresse, buscando-os nas características dos alunos e do curso. São apontados os diagnósticos mais frequentes citados na literatura e sugestões para minimizar esse processo no âmbito das escolas médicas.

Os anéis da serpente: a aprendizagem baseada em problemas e as sociedades de controle

The imperative need for modifying the Brazilian medical education--aiming at the formation of a professional more capable to answer the populations main health problems--has opened the possibility for the use of new teaching methodologies. In this scenario, the Problem Based Learning (PBL) outstands as the curriculum structuring tool adopted in several institutions, showing as main characteristics the capability of fostering (1) significant learning, (2) the undissociated link between theory and practice, (3) the respect for the students autonomy, (4) the work in small groups, (5) the permanent education and (6) the formative evaluation. Despite its indisputable leading position, PBL can be understood as a way to exercise power in the context of an emerging modus of social organization: the societies of control.

O ensino de Patologia nas escolas médicas está em crise? Uma revisão sobre a experiência internacional

INTRODUÇÃO: O ensino da Patologia tem papel fundamental na formação médica, por ser o principal elo entre as ciências básicas e a prática clínica, assim como referência para a pesquisa científica. A Patologia insere-se no grupo de disciplinas que passam por um processo de mudanças curriculares e incorporação de novas tecnologias, sendo tal processo iniciado há duas décadas nos EUA, Austrália e Europa. OBJETIVO: Discutir as vantagens e desvantagens das mudanças que atingem o ensino da Patologia no País, a partir da experiência internacional. RESULTADOS: Na presente revisão, discutimos preocupações atuais, que incluem a marginalização da Patologia no currículo médico, a falta de contato dos estudantes com a Anatomia Patológica e as possíveis lacunas na formação do futuro médico. CONSIDERAÇÕES FINAIS: A ausência de contato com a Anatomia Patológica no curso médico, ou sua participação meramente ilustrativa, cria os problemas adicionais de pouco incentivo à escolha desta especialidade médica e gera a dificuldade dos novos médicos em lidar com solicitações e interpretações de laudos anatomopatológicos.

Using Computer and Internet-based Resources to Teach Health Care Planning and Administration in an Undergraduate Medical Program

We describe the teaching methods, involving computer and Internet-based resources, used in the "Administration and Planning in Health Care" course of the undergraduate medical program at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Description on how the curriculum guidelines for the undergraduate medical education in Brazil have been implemented at this university. The guidelines specify that graduates should be skilled and knowledgeable in health care administration and management, understand the market dynamics of health care services, and be prepared to contribute to the development of health policy. A required 60-hour course provides students with an opportunity to learn about the structure, planning and administration of the Brazilian and of other health care systems, and their roles, as health care professionals, within those systems. The course is also intended to allow students to develop the minimal skill set required for manipulation of health care data available from national and international databases, and to use the Internet as a source of information in health care. The curriculum includes: Module 1 - basic computer skills, an introduction to networks as an infrastructure for management, the use of spreadsheets and databases for data processing and system modelling, retrieval of Internet-based health data and on-line bibliographic searches; Module 2 - health system financing and service quality management, using a university hospital as a case study; and Module 3 - a comparison of the Brazilian public health care system (SUS) with other national health systems resulting in a term paper formatted for journal submission and presented at a simulated conference at the end of the course. Progressive shift in emphasis from theory to practice in this course has resulted in better development of the skill set required for the students.

Continuing medical education in Brazil: what about obstetricians and gynecologists?

In Brazil, obstetricians and gynecologists are not required to submit to periodical evaluations to ascertain their professional competence in dealing with new concepts and therapies. To evaluate the performance of a group of obstetricians and gynecologists on a written evidence-based obstetrics test and determine their opinions and use of systematic reviews. Prospective cohort. Brazilian Obstetrics and Gynecology Congress 2001. 230 doctors agreed to participate in the study during a national obstetrics and gynecology congress. Participants took an individual anonymous written multiple-choice test with seven questions on clinical obstetrics, one question on the interpretation of a meta-analysis graph and two questions on their opinions and actual use of systematic reviews. Scores were analyzed and compared after grouping the participants according to year of graduation, residence training, doctoral program and faculty status. The general average score was 49.2 +/- 17.4. The scores tended to decline as the years since graduation advanced. Doctors who graduated in the last five years had higher scores than those who graduated over 25 years ago (52.2 versus 42.9). The performance did not vary according to medical residence, postgraduate program or teaching status. While 98.2% considered systematic reviews relevant, only 54.9% said that they routinely used this source of information. The participants' average score was low, even though they were highly qualified and trained. Despite the limitations of the study, the results are worrisome. If motivated physicians participating in a national congress obtained such low scores, we can speculate that the results might be even worse among other doctors that do not attend these events. These findings suggest that Brazilian obstetricians and gynecologists could benefit from continuing medical education and raise questions about the recycling methods currently available.

A survey of contemporary medical education in Brazil.

A survey of contemporary medical education in Brazil.