Reflexões sobre possibilidades e desafios da educação popular como referencial para o trabalho de residentes em Medicina de Família e Comunidade.

This paper analyzes the possibilities and challenges of Popular Education (PE) as a reference for medical work in the context of the Family and Community Medicine Residence. It is a comprehensive and interpretive study conducted in João Pessoa, State of Paraíba, Brazil, with residents of the second year of the Family and Community Medicine Residency linked to the Federal University of Paraíba, through the group discussion methodology. The results evidenced PE's potential for medical work, such as shared knowledge construction, integrated work with community health agents and other professionals, as well as the establishment of community groups and medical consultations as educational spaces. Obstacles to the practice of PE emerged, such as: high care pressure and conflicts with management models that focused predominantly on outpatient care. It is concluded that PE is a strategy present in the daily work of the residents, but its implementation suffers difficulties to be overcome for real effectiveness as a tool for enhancing medical work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]