Basic–clinical integration in a medical program with a traditional curriculum: students’ perceptions, challenges, and pedagogical implications
percepção discente, desafios e implicações pedagógicas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47385/praxis.v18.n32.6079Keywords:
Medical education, Curriculum, Curriculim integrationAbstract
Introduction: Vertical integration between basic and clinical contents constitutes a structuring axis of contemporary medical curricula, as it promotes meaningful learning, development of clinical reasoning, and comprehensive professional training. However, its implementation remains a challenge in many Brazilian medical schools, especially those organized under traditional curricula. Objective: To analyze the perceptions of students enrolled in a traditional medical curriculum regarding vertical integration, considering its relationship with motivation, learning, assessment practices, and institutional policies. Method: A cross-sectional, observational, and analytical study conducted through an online questionnaire based on a Likert scale applied to students from the 1st to the 12th semester. The instrument included 12 statements distributed across the program, course, and session levels, as well as sociodemographic variables. Results: Ninety-three students participated. Most recognized the presence of vertical integration in the course; however, 92% considered that basic contents should be more closely connected to practical scenarios. The use of clinical cases increased motivation for 89% of respondents and was perceived as a strategy capable of reducing training gaps by 94%. Only 32% reported that assessments stimulate clinical reasoning, whereas approximately half of the students indicated a predominance of content-based testing. Furthermore, only 31% perceived integration among faculty, 29% identified institutional policies aimed at integration, and 28% reported satisfaction with the current articulation between basic and clinical contents. Conclusion: Although vertical integration is recognized, weaknesses persist related to faculty articulation, assessment practices, and institutional support, indicating the need for academic policies and systematic pedagogical strategies to strengthen basic–clinical integration.
Downloads
References
1. ALMEIDA, R. M. S. A. O futuro médico ou o médico do futuro? Reflexões sobre a formação, ensino e profissão. Thêma et Scientia, [s. l.], v. 1, n. 1, p. 27–29, 2011.
2. BOLLELA, V. R. et al. Educação baseada na comunidade para as profissões da saúde: aprendendo com a experiência brasileira. Revista Brasileira de Educação Médica, [s. l.], v. 38, n. 2, p. 143–149, 2014.
3. BRASIL. Conselho Nacional de Educação. Câmara de Educação Superior. Resolução CNE/CES nº 3, de 3 de setembro de 2025. Institui as Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais do Curso de Graduação em Medicina. Diário Oficial da União. 1 out 2025.
4. CHYTAS, D. et al. Vertical integration of anatomy teaching in the clinical phase of undergraduate medical education: An overview. Morphologie, [s. l.], v. 109, n. 366, p. 100969, set. 2025.
5. FLEXNER, A. Medical Education in the United States and Canada. New York: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1910. (Bulletin, 4).
6. GASIM, M. S. et al. Medical students’ perceptions towards implementing case-based learning in the clinical teaching and clerkship training. BMC Medical Education, [s. l.], v. 24, n. 1, p. 86, 2024.
7. HAYS, R. Integration in medical education: what do we mean? Education for Primary Care, [s. l.], v. 24, n. 3, p. 151–152, 2013.
8. KULASEGARAM, K. M. et al. Cognition before curriculum: rethinking the integration of basic science and clinical learning. Academic Medicine, [s. l.], v. 88, n. 10, p. 1578–1585, 2013.
9. MALAU-ADULI, B. S. et al. Perceived clinical relevance and retention of basic sciences across the medical education continuum. Advances in Physiology Education, [s. l.], v. 43, n. 4, p. 293–299, 2019.
10. MANFROI, A. Motivação para aprender dos estudantes do curso de Medicina. 2022. Tese (Doutorado em Medicina) – Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 2022.
11. PAGLIOSA, L. P.; DA ROSA, M. A. O relatório Flexner: para o bem e para o mal. Revista Brasileira de Educação Médica, [s. l.], v. 32, n. 4, p. 492–499, 2008.
12. VAN DER VLEUTEN, C. P. M.; SCHUWIRTH, L. W. T. Assessing professional competence: from methods to programmes. Medical Education, v. 39, n. 3, p. 309–317, 2005.
13. WIJNEN-MEIJER, M. et al. Vertical integration in medical education: the broader perspective. BMC Medical Education, [s. l.], v. 20, p. 509, 2020.
