The Family and Community Medicine Internship and Medical Education at a Federal School in the Countryside: Students' Self-Assessment

Abstract

Objectives: The present mixed-methods study evaluated the Family Medicine internship from the students’ perspective at a Federal Medical School in the interior of Minas Gerais (MG), Brazil. Methods: Data were collected using a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire given to the students after concluding their internship. The data were subsequently analyzed using descriptive statistics, the chi-squared test, and Bardin’s content analysis. The study had the participation of 86 students. All students participated in supervised medicals appointments, including prenatal care. Results and discussion: The medical students attended to people with neglected endemic conditions (100%), syphilis (82.6%), tuberculosis (72.1%), and Hansen’s Disease (43%). Ear irrigation was the most performed procedure (68.6%), followed by suturing (32.6%). Multiprofessional activities occurred, with a highlight on home visits (90.7%). The majority of the respondents considered the interpersonal relationships established during this period to be very good. The main challenges reported were limitation of physical structure, work overload, and loss to follow-up. Conclusion: It was concluded that the Family and Community Medicine internship provided practical learning in Primary Healthcare; however, some aspects require further improvement to ensure high-quality medical education.