Medical undergraduation in Brazil facing the challenges of training for Primary Health Care

Abstract

This study aimed to identify elements of medical education in Brazil, analyzing their proximity to the  presuppositions of professional performance in  Primary Health Care and the National Curricular  Guidelines of 2014. It is a descriptive and exploratory  study, with a qualitative and quantitative approach,  developed in 2015 and 2016, through telephone interviews and on-site interviews with  coordinators/directors of undergraduate medicine  courses. The results of the survey indicate an  inclination towards a generalist medical education,  with emphasis on primary care, but that does not  prepare students for the development of  multiprofessional actions. In face-to-face interviews,  weaknesses have been reported that limit the  development of competencies for primary care, such  as the resistance and lack of preparation of  professors, the incipient conditions of basic units, the  turnover of service professionals, and the dispute of  space between public and private educational  institutions. The findings indicate the path that is  being drawn after the implementation of the new  medical guidelines, suggesting not only advances, but also challenges that need to be overcome, especially  for the development of skills for collaborative teamwork.