INTRODUCTION:
Despite being central to Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS), the role of Community Health Agents (ACS) remains underrepresented in medical education. This project integrates first- and second-semester medical students into community-based experiential learning with ACS to promote empathy, social accountability, and contextual understanding of health systems.

METHODS:
Sixty medical students from Faculdade Sulamérica participated in immersive fieldwork alongside ACS professionals in Bahia, Brazil. Through home visits and health mapping tools (genograms, ecomaps, vulnerability maps), students explored family structures, environmental contexts, and social determinants of health. Reflective circles guided by faculty facilitated qualitative analysis focused on empathy, teamwork, and professional identity formation.

RESULTS:
Four key themes emerged: (1) deepened empathy and emotional awareness; (2) recognition of the ACS as an indispensable bridge between families and health services; (3) enhanced teamwork and communication skills; and (4) transformation of professional identity. Students described “leaving the comfort zone” and realizing that “medicine begins with listening.” Faculty observed stronger engagement and awareness of social determinants of health.

CONCLUSIONS:
Early community immersion proved to be a powerful pedagogical tool in medical education, connecting theoretical learning with lived realities. Even brief experiences can promote empathy, reflection, and humanized practice when grounded in the community. The initiative offers a replicable, low-cost model for medical schools seeking to integrate social responsibility into curricula globally.