Development of scientific competence in the context of an integrated curriculum

Abstract

Early exposure of medical students to scientific research offers numerous benefits throughout their careers, fostering the development of future researchers. To analyze the training process of medical students in scientific research by evaluating acquired skills and the effectiveness of teaching methods used in the medical course for developing these competencies. Exploratory-descriptive study with a quantitative approach, involving 138 medical students in Brazil, enrolled in a program with an integrated curriculum and active learning methodologies. Participants completed a questionnaire grounded in the 7 competencies of a researcher. The majority (55%) were in the basic cycle, 27% in the clinical cycle, and 18% in medical internship (MI). Competencies related to critical analysis, hypothesis formulation, and results sharing are strongly developed in tutorial moments (TM) and medical skills and communication (MSC) activities. Conversely, the MI tends to develop these competencies to a lesser extent. The study provided an overview of the incorporation of scientific research assumptions into the analyzed curriculum, concluding that the integrated model and active methodologies are strengths in developing scientific competencies. Although the sample size is a limitation, the study offers a basis for future research on the topic.