ocioemotional skills developed by medical students in an elderly health outreach project

Abstract

University outreach is an essential component of medical education, and projects aimed at the elderly population not only contribute to health promotion and disease prevention but also foster the development of social and emotional skills in health sciences students. This paper reports on the experience of medical students who carried out cognitive stimulation activities with residents of a Long-Term Care Facility in Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. In total, 10 students participating in the extension project produced narrative reports, which were later analyzed using discursive textual analysis. Four main categories emerged: empathy development, experience sharing, a sense of belonging, and skill enhancement. The results indicate that the experience contributed to the humanistic education of students, promoting greater sensitivity in elderly care and valuing active listening. University extension has demonstrated its potential to foster the development of socio-emotional skills, challenging the predominant biomedical model and reinforcing the need for more empathetic and patient-centered medical practice.