The human face beyond disease: teaching minority health in a medical school in northeastern brazil
1
School of Medicine, Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA), Crato, Brazil
2
School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Cariri (UFCA), Barbalha, Brazil
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A2735
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Medical education has historically privileged the biomedical model, often neglecting minority groups1. In contexts of Brazilian Northeast hinterland, where inequities in access to health care persist2, it becomes essential to incorporate curricular components that promote training guided by the principle of equity. In this setting, the first Minority Health (MH) course was implemented in a public undergraduate medical program in the semi-arid region of Ceará. This study aimed to report students’ perceptions regarding its educational and social impact.
METHODS:
This is a mixed-methods experience report based on the analysis of a questionnaire completed by 21 of 24 classmates.
RESULTS:
The findings were organized in three thematic categories. Category 1 - Impact of the course on understanding social inequalities: 80.95% of students reported that the course promoted changes in their understanding of the social determinants of health, highlighting housing, work, food, income, and support networks as inseparable elements of the health-disease process. Category 2 - Minority groups previously unknown or poorly understood: The Romani population was the least known (82.95%), followed by riverine populations. Immigrants, refugees, and stateless persons were mentioned as groups with limited prior knowledge, particularly regarding institutional and legal barriers to accessing health care. People deprived of liberty were also highlighted, especially due to lack of awareness of existing public policies, with emphasis on the health of pregnant women in prison settings. Category 3 - Influence of theory-practice integration on a humanized medical stance: All students reported that the combination of theoretical content and real-life cases made marginalized populations more visible. The Transgender Health Outpatient Clinic was highlighted as a powerful learning space fostering respect for diversity.
CONCLUSIONS:
The MH course fostered humanized, critical, and equity-oriented medical education, preparing future physicians for socially accountable practice within public health systems and diverse, underserved contexts.
Medical education has historically privileged the biomedical model, often neglecting minority groups1. In contexts of Brazilian Northeast hinterland, where inequities in access to health care persist2, it becomes essential to incorporate curricular components that promote training guided by the principle of equity. In this setting, the first Minority Health (MH) course was implemented in a public undergraduate medical program in the semi-arid region of Ceará. This study aimed to report students’ perceptions regarding its educational and social impact.
METHODS:
This is a mixed-methods experience report based on the analysis of a questionnaire completed by 21 of 24 classmates.
RESULTS:
The findings were organized in three thematic categories. Category 1 - Impact of the course on understanding social inequalities: 80.95% of students reported that the course promoted changes in their understanding of the social determinants of health, highlighting housing, work, food, income, and support networks as inseparable elements of the health-disease process. Category 2 - Minority groups previously unknown or poorly understood: The Romani population was the least known (82.95%), followed by riverine populations. Immigrants, refugees, and stateless persons were mentioned as groups with limited prior knowledge, particularly regarding institutional and legal barriers to accessing health care. People deprived of liberty were also highlighted, especially due to lack of awareness of existing public policies, with emphasis on the health of pregnant women in prison settings. Category 3 - Influence of theory-practice integration on a humanized medical stance: All students reported that the combination of theoretical content and real-life cases made marginalized populations more visible. The Transgender Health Outpatient Clinic was highlighted as a powerful learning space fostering respect for diversity.
CONCLUSIONS:
The MH course fostered humanized, critical, and equity-oriented medical education, preparing future physicians for socially accountable practice within public health systems and diverse, underserved contexts.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
