# Vascular surgery core curriculum for medical degrees in Brazil: a proposal

## TL;DR

This paper proposes a core curriculum for vascular surgery in Brazilian medical education and validates it through a pilot study with resident doctors.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a validated core curriculum for vascular surgery in undergraduate medical training in Brazil.

## Key findings

- 17 out of 31 vascular surgery themes were identified as essential for generalist medical training.
- Peripheral arterial disease and extracranial cerebral ischemia were considered underdeveloped in medical graduation.
- The curriculum proposal was validated by professors and tested with resident doctors to assess its applicability.

## Abstract

Vascular surgery (VS) is the medical area focused on the study of the vascular system, being an integral part of the content to be incorporated by the general practitioner. Therefore, it is necessary to establish the essential VS competencies for medical practice in Brazil.

Define the most relevant themes in the VS for generalist medical training, developing a core curriculum (CC) for undergraduate medical courses in Brazil, and apply the matrix proposed in a pilot study with first-year resident doctors in internal medicine, gynecology and obstetrics, general surgery and family and community medicine.

Construction and validation of content by ten professors of a CC proposal in VS for medical graduation, using the Delphi consensus method, with its subsequent application among residents, to evaluate it in the graduation experience of 35 graduates.

The instrument developed and validated in terms of content by the panel of teachers identified 17 of the 31 themes presented as essential, which were considered the CC of VS (anatomy, physiology, venous thromboembolism, diabetic foot and atherosclerosis). Peripheral arterial disease and extracranial cerebral ischemia were considered to have little or no development during medical graduation.

The proposal and validation of a CC in VS, in the opinion of teachers, was a consensus and enabled the formulation of a concise and applicable research instrument. The qualification of the residents' experience on these topics served to understand which areas of teaching can be improved for primary medical care related to VS.

A cirurgia vascular (CV) é a área médica voltada ao estudo do sistema vascular, sendo parte integrante do conteúdo a ser incorporado pelo médico generalista. Assim, é necessário estabelecer as competências essenciais da CV para a prática médica no Brasil.

Definir os temas de maior relevância na CV para a formação médica generalista, desenvolvendo um core curriculum para os cursos de graduação em Medicina no Brasil, e aplicar a matriz proposta em estudo piloto a médicos residentes do primeiro ano em clínica médica, ginecologia e obstetrícia, cirurgia geral e medicina da família e comunidade.

Construção e validação de conteúdo, por 10 professores, de uma proposta de core curriculum em CV para a graduação médica, utilizando o método de consenso de Delphi, com posterior aplicação entre residentes, a fim de avaliá-la na experiência da graduação de 35 egressos.

O instrumento desenvolvido e validado quanto ao conteúdo, pelo painel de professores, identificou 17 dos 31 temas apresentados como essenciais, os quais foram considerados o core curriculum de CV (anatomia, fisiologia, tromboembolismo venoso, pé diabético e aterosclerose). A doença arterial periférica e a isquemia cerebral extracraniana foram assuntos considerados pouco ou nada desenvolvidos durante a graduação médica.

A proposta e a validação de um core curriculum em CV, na opinião de professores, alcançaram consenso e possibilitaram a formulação de um instrumento de pesquisa conciso e aplicável. A qualificação da experiência nesses temas, pelos residentes, serviu para entender quais áreas de ensino podem ser melhoradas para a assistência médica primária relacionada à CV.