Academic and professional development of graduates from health master programs: integrative literature review

Graduates of health master programs find, in their daily work, situations that confront the competences developed during the course with those required in professional practice. The evaluation of these students can contribute to the adequacy of the programs’ pedagogical structure, besides pointing out the aspects that have positively or negatively impacted their academic and professional education. The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of master programs in health over the academic and professional development of graduates. We searched SciELO, LILACS and PubMed databases, with the descriptors "master" AND "evaluation" AND "graduate students", in Portuguese, English and Spanish. The search resulted in 22 publications, and after applying the exclusion criteria, 14 articles were included in this review. The impact of the programs was evaluated predominantly by means of questionnaires applied to graduates, with quantitative methods of data analysis. In general, programs have produced relevant learning for the formation of human resources, especially regarding the construction of innovative health practices, scientific foundation, qualification, professional insertion and student empowerment. In conclusion, literature suggests that, although there are challenges to be faced, master programs in the health area contribute positively to the academic and professional success of graduates.