World experiences in preceptorship in medical undergraduate education: an integrative review

Abstract: Introduction: The preceptor, as the physician who facilitates the teaching-learning process in practice settings, is essential for in service-training in the undergraduate medical school. The importance of these professionals in the training of new physicians highlights the need to understand the preceptorship activity from a medical education perspective. Objective: To verify, in the scientific literature, global experiences in preceptorship in the undergraduate medical school. Method: Integrative literature review using standardized descriptors in the following databases: LILACS - Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences, MEDLINE - Online System for Analysis and Recovery of Medical Literature and SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online, between 2009 to 2019. Analysis of the articles was carried out using the thematic category technique. Results: The search in the databases resulted in 274 studies, of which 23 were analyzed and discussed in full. Detailing of the global experiences in preceptorship was systematized into two categories: intrinsic and extrinsic aspects for the exercise of preceptorship and educational strategies used by the preceptor. Conclusions: The analysis of the articles indicates the importance of the students’ actions together with preceptors for the acquisition of professional skills. A critical factor for the success of monitoring students in professional practice is the preceptor’s ability to assume the role of educator, in order to see the students in their uniqueness and in their integral development. Therefore, the significance of the preceptors’ qualifications becomes more evident.