Aprendizagem Baseada em Projetos e Gestão da Saúde: aproximando teoria e realidade no Sistema Único de Saúde

The Dentistry Course at Universidade do Vale do Taquari (UNIVATES) is organized through an integrated modular curriculum based on active teaching-learning methodologies. The aim of this study is to report the experience of students and faculty on the 'project-based learning' methodology adopted in the Health, Society, Citizenship and Human Rights VI axis of the Dentistry course in 2018. Students were divided into small groups in order to carry out three main activities: an initial case on health services management; health information systems workshop; and oral health service implementation project. After the completion of each activity, the students presented their work to the entire group for a dialogic analysis. This method aimed to provide full understanding regarding the context of health care spaces, from management to direct user care. The project included the following types of activities: visits to the Health Care Units, analysis of the municipal plans, supervision of the activities and the professionals, contact with users, data research in the health information systems, and analysis on the hiring process of professionals. It was concluded that the students had the opportunity to reflect on the management challenges while dealing with the demands of users and professionals of the Unified Health System (UHS). The teaching method was improved, allowing students and future professionals to build a more critical and expanded perception of the oral health care network. These reflections, based on real situations experienced in the oral health team practice, seek to qualify the work process by training students to work in the UHS.