Background

The School of Medical Sciences and Health (FCMS – Faculdade de Ciências Médicas e da Saúde) at the Sorocaba campus of the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC/SP – Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo) began to reform the curriculum of the Medical course in 2006, introducing a new educational project based on the 2001 Brazilian National Curricular Directives (DCN – Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais) for Medical Degree Courses. In this curriculum, Health Care Practice is a horizontal module with its six disciplines studied from the first to the sixth year, in various practical scenarios, but with a focus on primary health care in the Unified Health System (SUS – Sistema Único de Saúde), with learning based on practice and problem solving as central educational strategies.

Objective

To assess whether medical students and new graduates consider themselves prepared to work in primary health care, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of their training in order to propose the adjustments required to improve the Medical course and training of graduates from the FCMS of PUC/SP.

Methods

A questionnaire with four open questions and five multiple choice questions using the Likert scale was answered by 66 interns and 8 new graduates.

Results

More than 70% of the participants consider that they are well prepared or very well prepared to work in primary health care as general practitioners, in a person-centred, critical and reflective manner, with the skills to perform activities in health prevention, promotion and rehabilitation in accordance with the DCN and the priorities of the SUS, while valuing multiprofessional work. Participants consider as curriculum strengths: involving the student in primary health care from the beginning of the course, favouring a person-centred approach in the doctor/patient relationship, and the understanding and management of the most prevalent diseases. The weakest points reported were: little medical care was provided to patients during the course, home visits were conducted without the tutor, and Primary Health Care is undervalued in professional life.

Conclusions

Interns at the end of the course and new graduates from the Medical course of FCMS at PUC/SP feel themselves prepared and confident to work in primary health care as general practitioners in the SUS in the way specified in the DCN and offer critical suggestions to improve teaching/learning in this scenario.

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