The aim of this study was to learn what kind of situations medical students perceive as distressing in the course of their undergraduate studies, and to which factors they attribute this sensation of distress. To this purpose an ethnographic approach using semi-structured interviews, observations, and discussion groups was employed. The collected data were analyzed by Content Analysis. The students identified the gap between basic medical education and the part of the course which emphasizes general clinical practice - the first contact with the patient and the psychological stress provoked by having to deal with pain and suffering - as responsible for their distress. Another stress-factor identified by the students is the awareness that their learning process implies in "using" another human being. Difficult relationships with the professors in certain situations were also indicated as causing distress.
Students, Medical; Psychology, Medical; Stress, Psychological