Pedagogical strategy for the integrated learning of biomedical content in the first year of Medicine

Abstract

Introduction: the teaching of biomedical sciences in medical school often exhibits a fragmentation between theory and practice, which limits the construction of meaningful learning. Physical Education, from a humanistic perspective, is recognized as an interdisciplinary space with the potential to mediate learning through the body and movement.

Objective: to analyze the implementation and relevance of a pedagogical strategy from Physical Education for the integrated learning of biomedical content in first-year medical students, with the aim of strengthening interdisciplinary coherence and the humanistic dimension in their initial training.

Methods: an action research study with a qualitative approach was carried out at the Nuevitas Medical Sciences Branch during the first semester of the 2023-2024 academic year. Nineteen first-year medical students participated (the entire student population). Data collection methods included focus groups, semi-structured interviews, participant observation, document review, and consultation with specialists using the Delphi method. 

Results: the data were organized into emerging categories: interdisciplinary integration of body movement, experiential biomedical understanding, student motivation, and feasibility of the strategy. An explicit link between physical exercise and biomedical content was evident, as well as a better understanding of anatomical structures and physiological responses resulting from body self-exploration. Specialists validated the relevance of the proposal with a high level of consensus.

Conclusions: the strategy constitutes a viable didactic alternative that promotes integrated learning of biomedical sciences, stimulates active participation, and contributes to a more humanized understanding of the human body.