No a Visa refusal is not the same as being refused at port. A port refusal is at the border crossing itself, and you are turned back before entering the actual country. The Embassy or Consulate in your own country does not count as a border crossing.
If you have been refused a visa, you will have been given a letter explaining why. Address the points raised in the letter and either appeal if they simply got it wrong, or raise another visa application with the correct basis and supporting documentation next time.
