Although community orientation is considered an important feature related to primary care, it's recognized by many authors as an underdeveloped component of its practice. Teaching assessment as well tends to focus on the physician as care provider to the individual patient while other dimensions are marginalized. Based on the notion that territorial approach is essential to a community oriented practice in Brazil, a plan for situational diagnosis of territories was developed with medical residents, as an educational tool to achieve community orientation competence. This article aims at describing this experience. Based on literature review, a 5-axis plan comprising different tools in the field of territorial assessment was developed, as it follows: 1-general recognition (first week); 2-quantitative data and health indicators (second week), 3-social resources (third week); 4-mapping tools (fourth and fifth weeks); 5-“rapid estimation technique” (sixth and seventh weeks). The residents had two hours per week to accomplish tasks. Data and indicators research required two weeks due to difficulties with electronic medical records, while obstacles to contact services (of health and other sectors) delayed three weeks the mapping of social resources. Developing the maps took more than planned as well. During the process, the health teams improved their knowledge of the fragilities and potentialities of the communities, while residents were sensitized on the importance of developing skill towards community orientation. Although the plan needs adjustments, it was an effective strategy to teach different tools of community orientation, which can be an important step to achieving comprehensive care.
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