How Problem Based Learning (PBL) aids clinical reasoning in Emergency Care: an experience report

Abstract

Objective: To highlight the relevance of integrating medical students from different years into the practical setting of emergency and urgent care. Experience report: The internships took place weekly throughout the year 2025. Two students at a time accompanied the attending physician during the initial assessment, as well as the diagnosis, management, and follow-up of patients in a Municipal Emergency Department located in the countryside of São Paulo State. In this setting, students had the opportunity to connect theory with practice during the clinical examination and case discussions with the supervising physicians. Final considerations: The inclusion of medical students in the public health service within emergency and urgent care settings represents a highly valuable stage for developing clinical competencies — including reasoning, the application of care protocols, decision-making, effective communication, and team leadership — while enabling the student to integrate knowledge in multiple ways. Thus, the extracurricular internship proves to be essential for an adequate and comprehensive medical education.