Inserção do estudante de medicina no serviço da saúde : a percepção dos profissionais das Equipes de Saúde da Família

Abstract

There is a movement for change in medical education led by the National Curriculum Guidelines (DCN), the National Re-Training Program in Health and Incentive Changes in the Curriculum of Medicine that recommended the inclusion of medical students in the practical scenario since the first period of the course, especially in Primary Health Care (PHC). This article aimed to understand the potentialities and difficulties of integration of medical students in Family Health Teams through the publications of the last five years and the professionals’ perceptions. This is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory research. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, 10/24/08, No. 1240/08. We selected articles on the Scientific Electronic Library (SCIELO) for the period 2005 to 2009, and documents related to the goals of this study. Professionals in the Family Health Strategy of Montes Claros, Minas Gerais were heard through the focus group technique. The methodological instruments used was narrative synthesis of quantitative data, the integration of interpretive qualitative results of selected studies and analysis of professional discourse. It is noticed a growing number of publications in this area. Some medical schools already have innovative changes in their curricula towards the DCN, but are observed difficulties in the integration of students and serving the community and realizes that curricula, teaching and service need to continue transforming itself to attaining the aims to train professionals more human, capable of teamwork and the APS. From the three focus groups, we constructed the following categories: integration service-learning-community, operation of the service and medical education. The professionals see the need for interdisciplinary work and community-oriented, but with the vision of health care focused on doctor. It was found that, through greater integration of students with the team and the community, it is possible to obtain a more effective service and quality, increased professional satisfaction, and positive difference in students' education.For this integration occurs, it is important to build the image of the doctor/medical student as a member of the healthcare team. This process requires a reversal of the paradigm constructed by the dialogue among centers, trainers, and community services for the realization of changes in education and health practice with the valuation of work in Family Health’ teams. The insertion of the student in this scenario can catalyze this process. Further researches are necessary, addressing the perspectives of other actors in this process: managers, teachers, students and users to better understand the results of the integration of medical students to pratical activities of PHC.