Perceptions on contributions/challenges of teaching-service-community integration from the experience of a surgical discipline

Abstract

Abstract: Introduction: The National Curriculum Guidelines (DCN, Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais) for the undergraduate medical course emphasize the educational training in the context of primary health care and have as axes of the curricular development, the health needs of the population and the teaching, service, and community integration (TSCI), preferably in services of the Brazilian Health System (SUS). Thus, the primary health network is a unique learning scenario, as it provides students the opportunity to experience health policies, as well as the multi-professional work, in addition to the possibility of dealing with real-life problems, associating medical-academic training to the social health needs. Objectives: This work aims to analyze the characteristics of the teaching-service integration, which contribute to the university, health services and the community. It also aims to analyze the difficulties and challenges through the perception of the students, the users and the health professionals involved in the outpatient Surgery Clinic and in the extension project of UFSJ (Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei) in the health units in Tiradentes-MG. Methods: This work is a qualitative study which used, as data collection instruments, semi-structured interviews with users, students and health professionals, about the perception of Teaching Service-Community Integration (TSCI). The Content Analysis technique was used for the data analysis. Results and Discussion: The data showed that the TSCI allowed improving the quality of work in the health service, qualifying the professionals who were working there, in addition to enhancing personal achievement of the actors in this interaction. It also brought improvements to primary care, allowing an understanding of the organization of the work practice and greater effectiveness of the Basic Health Unit. Furthermore, it was possible to perceive the challenges and impasses of this integration to be overcome, such as: lack of structure and materials, a minor discomfort, but no less important, of patients to be cared by students and confrontation of the routine of local health professionals with the University. Conclusion: The university inserted in the social reality and in the primary care services trains professionals who are more qualified for more prevalent problems while benefiting the population and the local health teams.