Pedagogical training of medical students and their educommunicative practices for community health
Keywords:
Pedagogical training; medical student; educational communication; community healthAbstract
Introduction: The pedagogical training of general practitioners in Cuba faces challenges in developing educational communication skills that enable them to transform health as a social product. They also face limitations in their role as community educators. This text aims to characterize the current state of the pedagogical training process for medical students and the dynamics of their edu-communicative praxis regarding community health.
Method: A qualitative-descriptive study was conducted. A non-probability sample of 54 sixth-year medical students was used. Data collection methods included interviews, focus groups, and document review.
Results: In the pedagogical training of medical students, technical skills are prioritized at the expense of theoretical and pedagogical foundations. There is limited interdisciplinary integration and critical reflection, as well as insufficient awareness of the importance of pedagogical training for students. Tutors and professors demonstrate limited theoretical and methodological preparation for facilitating reflective spaces and integrating academic, professional, and research components. Limited mastery of critical educational communication resources and pathways to enhance community health.
Discussion: The pedagogical training of medical students presents difficulties, especially in the dynamics of their educational communication practice in community health. The fundamental causes lie in a somewhat incoherent approach to the pedagogical training process, insufficient attention to the theoretical, pedagogical, and value-based foundations of health education and communication, and the limited development of resources for its reflective, conscious, and systematic theoretical-practical articulation.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Lilian Suarez-Cid, Clara Ofelia Suarez-Rodríguez, Ramiro Gross-Tur, Angel Deroncele-Acosta
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