Fatores associados à intenção de carreira na atenção primária à saúde entre estudantes de Medicina

Abstract

Introduction: Health assistance reorganization has been oriented, since the Unified Health System (SUS) creation, by a proposal of expansion and strengthening of Primary Health Care (PHC). In this context, the scarcity of trained professionals is considered one of the main challenges for PHC consolidation. Among the career options after graduation, most physicians choose to seek focal specializations to work in other health care levels. Objective: Therefore, this quantitative study aims to analyze the prevalence and associated factors of medical students’ interest in following a career in PHC. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with medical students attending the last two years in four medical schools in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. A total of 524 students participated by answering a self-administered questionnaire, which was prepared by the authors, including questions regarding sociodemographic and economic profile, interaction with PHC during undergraduate school, career intention and intention to attend the Family and Community Medicine Residency (FCMR) program. Results: The results showed that 26.3% of the respondents indicated interest in following a career in PHC, a higher percentage when compared to previous studies. Regarding PHC being a temporary work choice, 79,3% of the participants indicated that they intend to work in this field after graduation. Ten percent of the students informed they intend to attend the FCMR program. Among the factors associated with the intention to work in PHC, a successful PHC experience during undergraduate school stands out. Conclusion: The results should be taken into consideration by health and medical education managers, fostering strategies that promote successful PHC experiences, encouraging learning-service integration and including students in a consolidated PHC network during undergraduate school. Initiatives such as increasing the workload in PHC during undergraduate school, increasing the number of FMC specialized teachers and health network improvement in the municipalities where these Higher Education Institutions are located can be powerful actions toward increasing the graduating students’ interest to work in PHC.

Perfil do estudante e fatores que influenciam o interesse pela medicina de família e comunidade

“…Adotou-se um questionário adaptado pelos próprios autores que teve como base para sua construção os instrumentos utilizados em dois estudos semelhantes 12,13 presente estudo 14 . Observando o perfil do aluno do internato de Medicina nesta pesquisa, entende-se que essa profissão na capital alagoana prossegue no processo de feminização e de rejuvenescimento que é tendência no Brasil 15 .…”

“…Os resultados das pesquisas realizadas nas duas regiões do país ratificam o perfil demográfico dos médicos no Brasil 15,16 e estão de acordo com a demografia de médicos nacionais que revela que a idade média dos médicos brasileiros é de 45 anos, média que vem caindo ao logo dos anos, apontando para um processo de rejuvenescimento da medicina no país 10 . Isso é, possivelmente, resultado do crescimento do número de cursos e de vagas de graduação em Medicina, o que gera a entrada de novos médicos no mercado de trabalho 10 .…”