Evaluation of Teaching on Leprosy by Students at a Brazilian Public Medical School / Avaliação do Ensino de Hansenologia pelos Estudantes de uma Escola Médica, Pública, Brasileira

ABSTRACT Objectives To evaluate teaching on leprosy at a public medical school located in a metropolis in southeastern Brazil with a low leprosy prevalence rate. Results An analysis performed by means of a comparative cross-sectional study on two parallel groups of students (freshmen and interns) demonstrated that most students began the medical course with some knowledge of the signs and symptoms of the disease. The interns were shown to have more theoretical knowledge and more favorable attitudes toward the disease compared to the freshmen. Most of the interns stated that the topic had been addressed during the course but that practical teaching was insufficient. Students who had had the opportunity for practical experience with patients were more confident in their ability to attend to similar cases. Conclusion Although from a statistical point of view the results may seem very favorable, the same cannot be said when assessing the situation from the perspective of education and public health, since a large number of final-year medical students have not been provided with basic information on the disease.

RESUMO Objetivo Avaliar o ensino sobre hanseníase numa escola médica localizada em metrópole do Sudeste brasileiro com baixo coeficiente de prevalência para hanseníase. Resultados Em análise realizada, utilizando um estudo comparativo entre dois grupos paralelos de estudantes do curso médico (ingressantes e internos), observou-se que a maioria dos estudantes ingressa no curso com conhecimentos sobre sinais e sintomas da doença. Os internos mostraram maior conhecimento teórico, assim como atitudes mais favoráveis em relação à doença, quando comparados aos ingressantes. A maioria dos internos afirmou que o tema foi abordado durante o curso médico, mas que o ensino prático foi insuficiente. Estudantes que tiveram experiência prática mostraram maior confiança em sua habilidade para atender casos semelhantes. Conclusão Embora do ponto de vista estatístico os resultados possam parecer favoráveis, não se pode afirmar o mesmo sob a perspectiva da educação e da saúde pública, uma vez que grande número de estudantes do último ano não possui informações básicas a respeito da doença.

Teaching of leprosy: current challenges

In the context of declining leprosy endemicity worldwide, keeping the interest in knowledge and expertise in leprosy alive has been a matter of concern. Approaching the problem only in primary care, without the proper integration with other levels of care in the health system fails to account for the complexity of the disease. Training professionals to work at different levels of health care is a current challenge. The objective of this review was to look for experiences related to the teaching of leprosy both in undergraduate courses in the field of health sciences and in training programs for professionals who work in patient care. We highlight the role of the dermatologist in the management of control programs, diagnosis and treatment of the disease, as well as in the continuous education of other health professionals.