This qualitative study was conducted with the aim of assessing student perceptions regarding physician-patient relationship (PPR) learning, following the curricular reform of the Medicine course at Santa Catarina Federal University. The study was based on semi-structured interviews with 25 of the 46 twelfth-semester students of the course, selected randomly.The results show that all the interviewees value the PPR, pointing to empathy, respect, no judging, active listening and accessible language as fundamental elements.Difficulty in interacting with carriers of serious, incurable and/or terminal diseases was reported, as well as in relation to emergency cases.The most cited resources for PPR learning were models, internships at Local Health Units since the start of the course and family education.Suggestions were made to broaden the approach to PPR with increased supervision and sharing of experiences during the course.In conclusion, the students' opinions on the need for PPR learning are under development and settings such as that for health service-learning integration are highly important for acquiring communication skills.
Physician-Patient Relations; Curriculum; Students; Medical; Learning