O programa de mentoring da PUC Minas: relato de experiência

Abstract

Introduction: This article reports on the experience of the mentoring program of the PUCMINAS Medicine Course in Betim, Minas Gerais. It highlights concepts, challenges and capabilities of this almost decade-old course. Education stimulates the emancipation of human beings and their potential, and mentoring programs are a powerful catalyst for this process. Experience report: The PUC Minas mentoring program is a mandatory activity, offering the student a space for welcoming, reflection, and care, conveyed by a teacher mentor. With hours of dedication, the mentor accompanies a class throughout the course by establishing regular meetings – with the whole class at the start and end of the semester, and with smaller groups frequently during the semester. Individual meetings take place according to the student’s demand. At the meetings, themes related to the daily routine in health institutions and related challenges are discussed, promoting the development of a physician’s identity. The mentor pays close attention for any deadlocks that arise in the training process, especially regarding student mental health. Discussion: Since it was introduced, the mentoring program at PUC Minas has become a consolidated element of the institution, playing an important role in the students’ training and the mentors’ learning. Formalizing the program is only the first step of the process, it is also necessary to disseminate a culture of care consistent with the principles of the course’s pedagogical project, the Curricular Guidelines for Medical Training and public health needs. Therein lies the challenge of achieving the graduate profile of a technically trained professional who is in a position to take care of himself and those he welcomes into the profession. Conclusion: The implementation of the mentoring program has generated a noticeable culture of Mentoring at the institution, reflected in the relationships between students and teachers, supporting a training that consists not only of technical aspects, but also the essence of care.