The changes in medical training have long been discussed in medical schools. These attempted changes have primarily been of a methodological or pedagogical nature, with curriculum restructuring based on the introduction of problem based learning (PBL) as an underlying axis. The traditional curricular format is still predominant, with PBL emerging as the most common alternative. The aim of this article is to present this method and assessments of its results, in order to create a snapshot of how effective it is in preparing critically-minded, thoughtful and socially responsible doctors. A literature review was conducted based on searches of the SciELO (Scientific Eletronic Library Online), Pubmed (www.nlm.nih.gov) and BVS (Virtual Library in Health) databases, with the selection of articles about the subject published in the last 20 years. The results reveal isolated pedagogical change to be insufficient as a solution to provide medical training capable of combining technical and ethical and humanistic skills.
Medical Education; Problem Based Learning; Human Resources Formation