de Oliveira J E
Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo.
Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 1993 Oct-Dec;39(4):194-6.
New ideas and developments in medical education have been carried out in different parts of the world. There is a never ending search by the leaders in the area, for ways to reach the main objective of preparing better professionals, able to solve medical problems, and able to offer better assistance. They have always carried a banner. In Brazil in the last 40 years, the late Professor Zeferino Vaz the founder of the Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, some of the Professors at the Medical School of the Catholic University in Campinas and our Group at the Medical School of Botucatu from the State University of São Paulo fought for some basic ideas with the above objectives. Among innovations in some new medical schools programs, the Medical School of the Desert in Israel is a good example. Its motto is "Medical Education for Medical Care". Its pioneer, a Professor of Medical Education, convinced his peers of preparing new physicians to offer better medical assistance at the community level. He wanted to change the students training focus from the hospital to the community environment. Student's human qualities and attitudes are considered requisites as important as, or more important than intellectual performance, starting at the selection of the candidates. Aspects of this program going on for more than 15 years in Israel are presented and discussed. Some of the Israeli educators' ideas and experiences could certainly be considered as good options for the Brazilian traditional medical education programs.
