Medical training in primary health care - a scoping review

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: The inadequacies of medical schools in professional training regarding humanized care and aimed at the health needs of the population have been discussed for a long time. Several criticisms of the biomedical training model have been made and motivated several national and international entities and institutions to propose recommendations for a new training model, aimed mainly at the timely inclusion in Primary Health Care (PHC). Objective: To analyze how the inclusion of medical students in Primary Health Care during the undergraduate course occurs and the perception of different actors involved in this process. Method: This is a scoping review. Two sets of descriptors were used, aggregated as follows: Primary Health Care and Undergraduate Medical Education and “Primary Health Care” and Curriculum and Medical. Initially, a total of 2,174 articles were selected, which, after the reading of the title and abstract, was reduced to 42 and later, after being read in full, 27 studies were listed for the analysis. Results: Most studies were published (70%) after 2015, 52% in the same journal and as an experience report. The National Curriculum Guidelines appeared as the main motivator for change in 82.3% of the articles; 100% have timely inclusion, with 76.5% occurring as early as in the first semester; 47.1% entered the internship throughout eight semesters, but only 29.4% report the inclusion during the internship. Regarding the learning objectives, it was verified that it meets the graduates’ profile and that recommended by the guidelines. The perception of students and teachers points to the role of the internship in PHC as an important training space for the development of skills and abilities recommended by the guidelines. Among the negative aspects are the lack of structure in the units, the lack of trained professionals and unprepared tutors for teaching at this level of care, and precarious arrangements between the institution and departments. Conclusion: It can be seen in the assessed articles that undergraduate medical training meets the recommendations of the 2014 National Curriculum Guidelines, of international authors and experience reports; however, it is necessary to advance in relation to the teaching and student culture that overvalue the specialization, in teacher training and teaching-service integration.