Design and Implementation of a Professional Master’s Program linked to the Medical Residency: the experience of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo

Abstract

The health care practice presents growing challenges, requiring physicians to develop various skills and competencies that facilitate their qualified performance. Critical reflection and autonomy in the management of professional practice require the physician to master the fundamentals of scientific methodology, which is not always included in the curriculum of medical residency programs due to its in-service training nature. Aiming to fill this gap in medical education, a graduate program (professional master’s degree) was established at the Ribeirão Preto Medical School at the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP). This experience report is intended to present the rationale and processes for implementing the Graduate Program “Professional Master in Medicine” at the FMRP-USP, in addition
to its objectives, target audience, and graduate profile. It is expected that this report will contribute to a reflection on the different components and complexity of medical training.