The Core competencies Matrix in Geriatrics and Gerontology at the UFRN Medical Course.
Clinical Competencies; Competencies Based Education, Geriatrics; Medical Education
Population aging and increased longevity are a major factor worldwide. In response to this challenge and the impact generated on health issues, many medical schools around the world have been developing some form of Medical Education program for Geriatric Medicine. The aim of this study was to construct a proposal of a competency matrix for the teaching of Geriatrics and Gerontology for the Medicine course of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN). It is an exploratory, prospective study developed in stages: documentary analysis of the menus and curricular components of the medical course and literature survey in search of matrices of national and international competences in geriatrics; analysis of teacher perception on the teaching of geriatrics and gerontology at UFRN and elaboration of the competence matrix in geriatrics and gerontology for the UFRN Medicine course. To validate this matrix, we used the Delphy Strategy with 11 Geriatrics specialists, teachers and tutors from the Higher Education Institutions of Rio Grande do Norte. As a result, was find very detailed reports and programs, several proposals of published competence matrices that were useful in the elaboration of a proposal of UFRN's own matrix, sent to the experts who expressed their opinion on each item with consensus reach (50% agreement + fully agree) in all the contents and competences proposed by the matrix. The specialists were also able to suggest teaching and evaluation methodologies, predominantly the most traditional ones, but already with the insertion of active methodologies, demonstrating the need for teacher training for new methodologies. The construction of this matrix intends to make teaching geriatrics more gradual throughout the course, with greater interdisciplinary involvement, and is probably better able to train general practitioners more competent to care for the elderly.