IV Journey of Medical Anatomy of Bahia

Three days dedicated to the study of anatomy in a different way, with a focus on understanding about quality of life and health professionalism. So was the IV Journey of Medical Anatomy of Bahia (JAMEB), which took place from September 27th to 29th, at Campus Cabula da Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP). The event, which is idealized by the Center for Teaching and Research in Anatomy (NEPA), was organized by medical students from the Bahiana and had the presence of speakers from several Brazilian institutions.

The opening ceremony had thanks to the students and partners in carrying out the journey. Professor Dr. Rinaldo Antunes Barros, coordinator of NEPA and president of JAMEB, explained the purpose of the event and how it was conceived: “The Journey of Medical Anatomy has an innovative proposal, as it is an event built by the students, in which anatomy is shown from the perspective of its medical applicability. We also bring diversified perspectives, such as: quality of life; terminality of life; and understanding the sexes to respect differences, from the point of view of sex reassignment surgeries. Our goal is to make students have a pleasurable vision of a subject that is very dense, but which contributes to their medical education”.

the dean of Bahiana, Dr. Maria Luisa Carvalho Soliani, also participated in the opening and explained about the greatness of JAMEB, in addition to reporting how the Bahiana honors its commitment as an institution with the purpose of training people to be agents of social change: “I think it is very relevant, because the event deals with anatomy, applied anatomy issues, and it is even more important because it is the students who promote and plan. This year we are talking about quality of life, which is fundamental, especially in a medical school, where training is a long and difficult path. Discussing this and how the institution can increasingly help students is essential”.

The magna conference at the opening of the journey on “Medical Student and quality of life: binomial or duality? – Brazilian panorama and equalization strategies” was carried out by Dr. Patrícia Zen Tempski, Coordinator of Teaching and Research at the Center for the Development of Medical Education at the University of São Paulo (USP). Dr. Patrícia discussed how medicine students can work towards improving their lives: “Quality of life becomes a concern for many people. In the medical course, there is the propagation of the idea that it is not possible to have a life beyond academia, and this needs to be deconstructed. There needs to be a cultural change in Brazilian universities. It is possible to be happy studying Medicine, as happiness, which is related to quality of life, can be worked on in four aspects: time management, healthy sleep, physical activity practices and resilience”.

Catarina Azevedo Cunha, a medical student and volunteer at JAMEB, was one of the students present on the event's organizing committees and told how the journey adds to her academic trajectory. “Participating in this event adds a lot to my personal and professional life, as we learn about logistics, about how to structure every detail of the journey, about how to welcome speakers, in addition to printing the schedules, among other things. It also involves a lot of interpersonal relationships, as we have contact with the guests, who are doctors, and this makes us think about what we want for our future”.

In addition to the opening ceremony, which was also attended by professors Luciana Rangel, Marta Menezes and the coordinator of the Medicine course, Dr. Ana Verônica Mascarenhas Batista, the first day of the event included courses on the various aspects of anatomy, such as pathological and forensic anatomy, neuroradiology, evidence-based scientific thinking, procedural anatomy, and palpatory anatomy.

The second day of JAMEB began with the roundtable “A closer look at medicine that transcends anatomy”. There were different approaches to the quality of life of medical students, from the perspectives of Dr. Patrícia Zen Tempski and Dr. Maria Luisa Carvalho Soliani, in which data on the training of students from USP and EBMSP were presented. Dr. Eliana de Paula Santos, professor at Bahiana, ministered on the implementation of health management in the curriculum of the Medicine course, and Dr. Marcelo Di Bonifácio, superintendent director of Santa Casa de Ribeirão Preto, presented the manager's view of medical residency in a health unit.

Dr. Marcelo Di Bonifácio expressed gratitude for speaking on the journey and affirmed the importance of health management today: “I am very pleased to be able to give a lecture on health management. Management is very complex, as we work with two delicate points: human resources and supply proceeds. We live in a very big shortage of financing, but it is the responsibility of each manager and his team to look for ways to make these resources viable. Often, with teamwork and willingness and actions, you can have results as good as in high investment situations. Regarding human resources, which was the focus of my presentation within the medical residency, it is essential to work on teaching and assistance, as the apprentice needs to act professionally and also learn during the health service”.

The day continued with the roundtable "Anatomy of the circulatory system - heartbeat and blood flow in vessels as the beginning of life", in which the academics from Bahiana taught anatomy classes and physicians Dr. Gilson Soares Feitosa Filho and Dr. Patrick Bastos Metzger presented their professional perspectives on chest pain in coronary insufficiency and aortic aneurysms. The anatomies of intensive and glandular therapy were debated by several professionals, such as Dr. Nanci Ferreira Silva, Dr. Tércio Guimarães Reis and Dr. Alina Feitosa.

The closing of the event included debates and lectures on "Anatomy of the genitourinary system – understanding anatomy to learn to respect differences", with Dr. Breno Dauster Pereira e Silva and Dr. Karla Kalil Pimentel, and the roundtable "Anatomy of the face and their special sensibilities – seeing, hearing and expressing themselves as forms of bodily communication", in which Dr. Humberto Castro Lima Filho addressed the theme “Labyrinth Diseases – Clinical manifestations and semiological maneuvers”. Dr. Antônio Francisco Pimenta Motta also attended the closing, giving a class on “Technical principles of cataract surgery – What is our current reality? ”

Medical students from various institutions in Bahia participated in JAMEB. Student Deyse Porto, who is studying Medicine at the State University of Southwest Bahia (UESB), in Jequié, reported the satisfaction of witnessing an anatomy journey like this: “A friend of mine who participated in this event last year recommended me and , as I was here in the city, I decided to apply. It's a very good opportunity to review the faculty's contents, get to know another higher education institution and have contact with health professionals”.