Post-graduate performance in public health and sus development: is there a relationship?

Abstract

This essay raises a question of whether and to what extent the stricto sensu Graduate Programs in Public Health contribute to the development of the SUS, inn Brazil. The hypothesis is positive, although one does not believe in an obvious and spontaneous movement, as scientific evidence is never mechanically adopted: implementation is a political act of management and not just an academic consequence. The positive argument is that these programs are balanced between two commitments: they obey the logic of the educational dynamics of the highest level of higher education and the development of science and technology; but its focus and object are the knowledge and qualification of the health sector (SUS). The bases that support this text are articles and reports that deal with the significance of Science & Technology & Innovation for world and Brazilian development; articles that deal with the job market of former graduate students; and testimonies of 16 course coordinators about their programs, whose relevance is highlighted in the analysis of the work. The conclusion is that there is a sometimes diffuse, sometimes concrete effect of postgraduate courses on the performance of the SUS and the other national institutions, differentiating the contributions of doctorates, academic masters and professional masters. Each one in its own way is essential for the qualification of the Unified Health System.