It is a fact that the health field was the most affected by the pandemic, with both positive and negative effects, and Nepuga/FAPUGA also felt that impact. Despite the high demand for the institution, it was necessary to reduce the volume of appointments.
As a national higher education institution (IES), one difficulty along the way was adapting the schedule to the situation of each state and city while respecting the decrees in force. Thus, the campuses reopened gradually, with biosafety prioritized in every room.
With the easing of social distancing, it became possible to face the new normal and work around reality. Demand for the institution’s services never stopped, and significant changes were made to meet the needs of health professionals.
The secretary of Nepuga/FAPUGA São Paulo, a student of business administration at FAPUGA and a member of AGPG, Reinaldo Mariano, comments on this new phase: “The space we have is large; I even think the 20 students we were serving was too few. The unit is big, we have 4 spacious rooms, and the PPE is all in order.”
However, the changes the institution had to make during the pandemic go far beyond lab capacity. “The return to classes, for Nepuga as well as for other institutions, was a big change for everyone. Before, the postgraduate program was fully in person, one weekend a month, and now students can watch the theory online and schedule the hands-on sessions based on their own calendars,” he says.
The founder and director of Nepuga/FAPUGA highlights that the online format made it possible for many students who would not have taken the in-person postgraduate program to specialize. “The remote teaching format during this pandemic showed students across the country that studying online takes dedication and focus, and it changed habits in the academic world that will last a long time,” stresses Prof. Ana Carolina Puga, M.Sc..
Hands-On Classes in the Hybrid Model
The hybrid teaching model is one of the trends that are here to stay; even before the pandemic, the institution was already studying how to implement this teaching methodology, and with the need that arose, the adaptation had to be immediate. The secretary highlights: “Preparing for the remote classes was a challenge, both for us as an institution and for the students, because everything new brings fear, right? So our institution had to adapt to remote classes, and we adopted this new hybrid model where the theory is online and the hands-on part is in person.”
Together with the institution, students worked hard to get through the difficulties as best they could, and in the end many were surprised by the hybrid model and how practical it is. “Scheduling the hands-on sessions made things easier for students in general, because they have the support of the physical unit where they can study, plus the freedom to choose the day they want to attend, which is much better than having specific scheduled days,” adds Reinaldo.
As a result, many student accounts have reached the institution, among them that of Dr. Vanessa Rodrigues, a student in the aesthetic biology postgraduate program. “Look, for me hybrid learning was the best thing that happened, because I have a two-year-old son and not having to travel for the theory classes is great, because I can plan better and spend less. I only had to travel for the hands-on sessions, and I found that excellent because the aesthetics field needs practice, right? You need that clinical immersion. Maybe if it weren’t hybrid I wouldn’t have been able to make this dream come true,” she says.
To ensure the safety of all our students and staff during hands-on classes, some protocols were adopted from the start of social distancing. “Wearing a face shield for facial procedures is mandatory, in addition to the mask they normally wear; we provide the PPE such as gloves, caps, masks, etc. We maintain distancing both at coffee break and in the classroom. The only things we don’t provide are the lab coat and the face shield, which are individual items, but even so we offer disposable ones at the unit,” he explains.
With vaccination underway, the expectation is that the unit can return to operating at greater capacity, “Both the students and we want hands-on sessions to return to normal as soon as possible, but within the guidelines set to protect public health,” he concludes.
News
Sarah
NEPUGA content team — Núcleo de Especializações Ana Carolina Puga.
