The expansion in university enrollment in Brazil, especially in the health fields, has occurred mainly in the private sector and in compliance with the National Curriculum Guidelines. Training Brazilian health professionals requires a new set of teaching skills in higher education. The aim of this study was to evaluate the teaching policy plans in new undergraduate courses in health that incorporate active teaching-learning processes, and to observe the consistency between the pedagogical approach and the policies for faculty recruiting, hiring, and training. This descriptive study analyzed the recruitment and training of professors in recently inaugurated courses (2000 to 2008) in the health field that express an innovative design. The study sample included seven public (government) and seven private institutions of higher learning, with a total of 19 courses. Only two of the 19 courses organize the curriculum by disciplines and not within integrated modules. The private institutions used the same faculty recruiting and training approach, with selection occurring during the training process. Public institutions provided their training after the public admissions and hiring process. The article concludes by emphasizing the need to reevaluate faculty training by reclaiming the role of teaching skills for knowledge-building.
Curriculum Development; Undergraduate Medical Education; Faculty development
