Abstract:

The importance of practical experience with primary healthcare for medical education has been increasingly recognized. This report is a reflection on overcoming difficulties produced by the hospital-based healthcare model for teaching a comprehensive and preventive model of care. Such difficulties involve three main catcgorics: Targeting vs. Comprehensiveness, ldeology vs. Pragmatism, and Intellectual vs. Manual Work. ln the experience reported here, identifying and debating these difficulties with students created the possibility of overcoming them. Thus, a careful teaching plan is needed to change the hospital-based model. When this condition is met, it appears possible to achieve the desired results.

Key-words:
Education, Medical - Trends; Primary Health Care; Preventive Medicine - Education