Postgraduate education among family and community physicians in Brazil: the Trajetorias MFC project

Abstract

Neither primary health care or family and community medicine are recognized as knowledge areas in Brazil, for the purpose of postgraduate education (master s, Ph.D.) or research. Our objective was to describe the postgraduate education trajectories of family and community physicians in Brazil. In this observational, exploratory study, we used data from SBMFC and SisCNRM to compile the list of physicians and community physicians, and then downloaded their curricula vitae from the Lattes Platform, verifying all data for consistency. A master s degree was held by one in eight, and a Ph.D., by one in forty; most degrees were in collective health. Women (versus men) were less likely to hold master s degrees, and even less likely to hold Ph.D. degrees. Professional (versus academic) master s degrees and those in other areas (versus in medicine or collective health) were also associated with lower probability of obtaining a Ph.D. degree. Certified specialists (versus those with a medical residency) with a postgraduate degree were more likely to have earned it before becoming family and community physicians. We suggest that researchers in public health critically examine the relative benefits of different postgraduate trajectories for the professional performance of family and community physicians.