Medical Toxicology: Implementation, acceptance and perspectives as a curricular discipline in the medical course

Abstract

Medical Toxicology is recognized in Brazil as one of the 57 areas of medical practice. Until 2017, in the course of Medicine of the State University of Ceará (UECE), subjects related to intoxication, poisoning and accidents by venomous animals were approached in different disciplines, since Medical Toxicology was not part of the disciplines offered to the students. From the detection of this deficiency, it was proposed the implantation of Medical Toxicology as an optional discipline. The objective is to report the process of implementation, acceptance and perspectives for the discipline of Medical Toxicology in the UECE Medicine course. The implementation of the discipline took place within the institution's procedures and the first group was offered in the first semester of 2017. After one year of the discipline, the students carried out an evaluation of the same, observing the applicability and the impact on their academic performance. It was observed that a higher load discipline would benefit students' learning in intoxication and poisoning matters. It was concluded that the implementation of the discipline had positive repercussions among the students, but the need for a more practical approach was evidenced.