Abstract
Introduction:
Teaching-service integration with experiences that include rural environments is fundamental for teaching the reality of clinical practice that is closer to the Brazilian Unified Health System.
Objective:
To analyse the views of users, medical students and health professionals of a health unit, on teaching-service-community integration in rural areas.
Method:
Qualitative study with the target public, involving fifteen interviews in all, using the phenomenological-hermeneutic theoretical framework to construct the categories of analysis.
Results:
Students and professionals identified the advantages of the Family Health Strategy in the rural area as being the smaller number people enrolled and better access to the service. This fact contributes to longitudinal care and user adherence to proposed treatments.
Conclusion:
The study points to relevant issues for promoting rural internships in the curricula of medical schools, such as the possibility of closer ties with the community and the health team.
Keywords:
Medical Education; Rural Health Services; Primary Care