INTRODUCTION: Historically speaking, medicine reflected human values until scientific and technological bases made significant strides in knowledge, sometimes leaving a human approach to attending patients to take a back seat. It has only been in recent decades, that we come to consider how to combine scientific knowledge with humanitarian care. In this context, students from São Paulo University (Brazil) created "MadAlegria", using the role of the "doutor-palhaço" [clown-doctor] to develop empathy and attend to adult patients by means of games. METHODS: Dressed as clown-doctors, medical students made voluntary visits to hospitalized patients. In 2011, the project was undertaken by 38 volunteers who made weekly visits to the São Paulo State Cancer Institute (Icesp). In 2012, the initiative was expanded to include other wards of the University of São Paulo Faculty of Medicine (FMUSP) Hospital Complex. Studies were also conducted in order to understand the impact of the clown-doctor character on adult patients, health professionals and the students themselves. RESULTS: Preliminary results suggest that most of the students acquired communication skills and also broadened their vision of the patients. CONCLUSION: Future research may elucidate more details on the benefits of training medical students in mental health.
Humanization of Assistance; Medical Student; Hospitalization; Adults; Medical Education
