ABSTRACT
The “Education through Work in Health Program” (PET-Saúde) has promoted integration between teaching and service by inserting undergraduate students in practical scenarios, allowing the development of skills in the workplace. This report analyzes medical students’ experience in the “Elderly Evaluation Project”, developed throughout the PET-Saúde in two semesters at the Federal University of Ouro Preto medical school. Situational analysis revealed the need for individualized monitoring of the elderly. Second and third-year students were able to develop an overall evaluation of the elderly, performing home health assessments that reached 20% of the community’s elderly population. The most prevalent changes were evaluated and subjected to descriptive statistical analysis, and the conclusions were fed back to the health care team. The project was important for the elderly, helping to assess and diagnose risk factors for the loss of functional capacity. The family health teams physicians stressed the importance of reporting health problems not commonly referred to in consultations. For the community health agents, it helped to strengthen their relationship with the elderly population. Finally, for the students, the project was an opportunity to increase knowledge, and develop teamwork and other skills in the area of senior health.
Elderly; Medical Education; Primary Health Care; Health Services for the Aged; Geriatric Assessment