Given the importance of the doctor-patient relationship in the technical, humanistic, ethical and aesthetical dimension of the medical pratice, the objective of this study was to examine how students in the last semester of the medical course of a federal university in the South of Brazil learn the doctor-patient relationship. A mixed-method case-study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with twenty-five students randomly selected from a universe of forty seven. The aspects identified as most influential in the teaching-learning process of the doctor-patient relationship were the good and bad examples, the daily clinical practice and interpersonal relationships. Classes about this theme were considered scarce. Fifteen students (60%) stated that they would like to learn more about the doctor-patient relationship in classes giving examples of specific situations. The creation of a discipline on the subject was suggested. It is concluded that the teaching-learning process of the doctor-patient relationship should include communication skills and the creation of spaces for reflection mediated by teachers or doctors during the course.
Doctor-Patient Relationship; Students, Medical; Learning; Patient-centered Care; Ethics; Medical Education