The discipline of Medical Psychology in the ethical-humanistic education of medical students

Abstract

Objective: To describe the current state of the ethical-humanistic training from the discipline of Medical Psychology, in the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Sancti Spíritus "Dr. Faustino Pérez Hernández".Methods: Non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional, mixed approach study. Sample: non-probabilistic, by strata (10 professors, 8 directors, and 60 students). Results: The diagnosis showed as strengths: the discipline of Medical Psychology is integrated to the transversality of the ethical-humanistic training in the curriculum of the Medicine career; the education of humanistic values is established as a priority methodological line; the medical-legal curricular strategy is developed; there is exemplarity in the professors of the discipline; the students recognize the importance of the formative process. Weaknesses were found in the direction of the ethical-humanist training from the discipline Medical Psychology and formative needs of the professors to fulfill the demands of the physician's training model; there is still lack of integrative evaluations, with emphasis on skills and modes of action; as well as in the interrelation with the main integrative discipline. Conclusions: The discipline Medical Psychology has potentialities to expand the ethical-humanistic training of the medical student; managers and students identified with the importance of the improvement of this formative process, however, it was found the lack of a pertinent methodology in its direction, according to the formative needs of teachers and students.