Percepção dos internos e recém-egressos do curso de medicina da PUC-SP sobre sua formação para atuar na Atenção Primária à Saúde

Abstract

The medical course of the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP) started in 2006 a curricular reform introducing a new pedagogic project based on the 2001 National Curricular Guidelines for the Graduation Course in Medical Schools and centred in active methods of teaching/learning. In this curriculum, Practice in Health Attention (PHA) is a horizontal module carried out, from the first through sixth year, in several practice scenarios, prioritizing Primary Care (PC). Objective: To evaluate according to the 6th year interns if the medical course, particularly the PHA, ensures the required skills to work as a generalist physician at the PC of the Unified Health System (UHS). Methods: A structured questionnaire with multiple choice questions in Likert scale and three open questions were answered by 66 interns and 8 recently graduated medical doctors. Results: Participants consider that they are well prepared (58%) or very well prepared (14%) to work at the PC as a generalist, being humanistic, critic and reflexive, with skills to conduct actions in health prevention, promotion and rehabilitation according to the UHS hierarchy, and valuing multi-professional interaction. Students consider as curriculum positive points: the insertion at the PC since the beginning of the course, favouring the humanization of doctor/patient relationship and the knowledge of the most prevalent diseases. As negative points they reported: inadequate structure at the PC to receive the students; they feel less prepared to solve common complaints; few activities in multi-professional teams; little knowledge about the functioning structure of the UHS and home visiting without the teacher. Conclusions: After the curriculum reform, interns at the end of the course feel themselves prepared and secure to work at the PC of the UHS in the way proclaimed in the National Curricular Guidelines and the Pedagogical Project of the PUC-SP medical course, and offer critical suggestions to improve teaching/learning at this scenario