Introduction:

Teaching through practical experience, namely preceptorship, allows learners to seek information and clarify doubts with preceptors, in order to develop skills and abilities in a supportive and safe environment - essential elements for good learning.

Objective:

This study aimed to understand the conceptions and experiences of students and graduates of the Specialization Course in Preceptorship in Family and Community Medicine (UNA-SUS/UFCSPA) about preceptorship in medical education.

Method:

The research adopted a qualitative and observational approach, conducted through individual interviews on a videoconference platform, with 12 course participants from the five Brazilian geographic regions, guided by a script of open questions. The transcripts of the interviews were analyzed based on the concepts of the work ‘Content Analysis’ by Laurance Bardin.

Result:

From the perspective of the participants, the role of the preceptor is mainly related to the role of reference for their apprentices, thus having to present ethical and professional attitudes, in line with humanistic attributes and technical competences.

Conclusion:

From the perspectives observed in the study, the relevance of the preceptor in the medical training process is evidenced, as well as the need for debates between educational institutions, medical entities, managers and health services on the valuation and qualification of preceptors, and, consequently, of future professionals.

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