Magic Lab Coat: art as a mechanism of action for care and teaching in health/ Mágica bata de laboratório: a arte como mecanismo de ação para o cuidado e o ensino em saúde

Abstract

Background The objectives of the present study are to report the impact of projects such as the Magic lab coat team, which employ arts, focusing on clowning, for the community and, under the perspective of training health professionals. Methods The actions were developed because of an extension action entitled Magic lab coat team having as a partner hospital, hostels, schools, and charities. The protagonists of this action are medical students, who dress as clowns, bringing joy, humanity and various teachings to the patient and health professionals. Results The activities developed contributed to the teaching-learning process of medical students involved by providing a more humanized training and improvement of communication, expression, and empathy skills. Conclusion The presence of medical students characterized as clowns and focused not only on the clinical picture of patients, allow the well-being of patients, and reconnects them to the focus of all medical practice: the human relationship. The project offers contributions by softening the environment of various health scenarios and influencing the training of health students.