A successful experience of half a century of the University of São Paulo with the community

Abstract

Extension is inseparable from university activities and a key link between academia and the community. The participation of the university in health care to the community may represent one of the most visible and at the same time sensitive aspects of university extension. The work of the University of São Paulo (USP) at the Community Social Medical Center “Vila Lobato” (CSMC "Vila Lobato") has been a successful experience of half a century in the community attended by this primary health care unit of Ribeirão Preto. Undergraduate students of both Medicine and Nutrition and Metabolism courses from Ribeirão Preto Medical School-USP (RPMS-USP) and also resident physicians from Clinics Hospital of RPMS-USP have provided health care to the local population. Undergraduate students from other schools from USP at Ribeirão Preto (dentistry, nursing and psychology) have also worked at the CSMC "Vila Lobato". Several research projects on health were carried out and many others has been developed in the unit, benefiting the community. This experience of half a century of USP with the CSMC “Vila Lobato” is a successful model in extension and it not only should be recognized in a genuine way in the academic institutions but also stimulated.