Avaliação do internato médico rural em Medicina de Família e Comunidade da Universidade de Caxias do Sul: reflexões sobre a formação médica e as políticas de saúde

Abstract

Medical education has undergone constant transformations throughout history and in Brazil it takes on specific characteristics. Recently, among other aspects, there has been debate about the importance of the variety of teaching scenarios and of an integral and generalist approach to the design of an egress profile closer to the population’s health needs. This study presents a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the experience of medical students, professors and health professionals involved in the rural medical internship in Family and Community Medicine at the Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. Profile of participants, internship motivators, influences on work options future, impact on health teams and positive and negative aspects of the experience are presented and discussed in the light of international literature on the subject. The rural internship appears as a positive experience in medical training, with qualitative aggregating potential for those involved and influence on the future work option, helping to reduce the gap in human resources in rural areas. Dialogue between communities, health teams, universities and local managers is essential to overcome daily challenges and to maintain activities, as well as institutional support for students and qualification of the teaching staff. Suggestions for future lines of research in the area are presented.

Keywords

• medical education
• primary health care
• family practice
• rural areas