The Integrated Masters in Medicine (MIM) of the University of Algarve has open applications for its 7th edition, until the 9th of February. According to UAlg, this course, centered on an innovative learning method, the Problem-based learning (PBL), «it definitely won over the students, who consider that the MIM is surpassing all their expectations and elect it as a unique life experience».
Ricardo Albuquerque is a 1st year student and is currently the representative of the Medical Students Nucleus of the Academic Association of UAlg. He finished his degree in Radiology in 2008, soon starting to practice.
But, as he himself confesses, Medicine entered his plans in the very recent past, because he felt he wanted to gain more skills, favoring closer contact with people and greater autonomy in exercising the profession.
Regarding UAlg's MIM, it chooses PBL as its favorite learning method. “This model has largely exceeded my expectations, however, it doesn't seem to me to be anything less laborious than the so-called 'classic' method, so well rooted in Portugal,” he said.
Another very important factor for Ricardo Albuquerque is the background from each of the students: «every day we learn from the professional experiences of our colleagues (nursing, research, health technologies, engineering, etc.), which greatly enriches our final knowledge acquisition experience».
"Treating the part and not the whole was not entirely satisfying." Therefore, Joana Veloso Gomes, who was already working in her profession, decided that it was not enough to be a psychologist, she wanted to be a doctor. «The interest and curiosity for Medicine grew throughout my professional career, I would like to be a psychologist but I felt limited in terms of the possibility of responding to the needs of patients», he explains.
Joana also chooses PBL as the strength of this course. «We learn to study with autonomy, guided by our commander – the tutor – and working as a team, with our colleagues».
Another important component focuses on the discussion of clinical cases, once a week, which «addresses the various areas of knowledge, such as physiology, clinic, pharmacology, anatomy, and allows us to base our study on a real case, favoring our motivation to find answers to the problems that were raised in our group's discussion», he explained.
Joana also highlights the contact with patients as early as the 1st year, as they accompany users in consultations at health centers, as a facilitator of the practical application of the knowledge they acquire during training.
On balance, MIM students defend that, more than a personal challenge, this course should be understood as a social challenge.
Ricardo advises candidates for the 7th edition of the Medicine course to reflect on the seriousness of this commitment, both to the University of the Algarve institution and to the medical profession, ensuring that “they will be very well received by current students, by those who have already finished and by the teaching staff».
For future colleagues, Joana Veloso Gomes leaves a message: «if they feel they can be happy as doctors and think they have the necessary profile to assume this great responsibility, then apply!».
The future doctor says she is living “a unique experience, with a lot of daily effort, but very gratifying. I have never regretted the big change I made in my life».
All information about the applications and about the Medicine course can be found at: www.ualg.pt
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