Development and implantation of the new curricular structure in the School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto

difficulties and advances

Abstract

Since 1993, the Medical School of Ribeirão Preto of the University of São Paulo is implanting the curricular structure of its new undergraduate course, named Course of Medical Sciences. This course allows students to graduate in Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, or both. ln addition to such flexibility, the course is divided in three phases: basic, clinic and internship, lasting two years each. Traditional disciplines were integrated into new disciplines or articulated on the basis of increased complexity, avoiding curricular repetition. New disciplines were added to allow early contact of the students with the health system and improve their ethic and humanistic background. New disciplines on topics of specialized semiology were also introduced. Other advances include facilities to stimulate students in self-learning methods and space for optional disciplines. Main difficulties to develop the new curriculum include the resistance of teachers to minimize the emphasis on formal lectures, the information overload, and the lack of institutional reward mechanisms for teachers involved with undergraduate medical education.