A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Santa Maria university hospital from November 2008 to January 2009. It aimed to assess medical residents' point of view regarding the activities of a residency. The participation was voluntary and confidential and was approved by the Committee of Ethics in Research. The data were analyzed through SPSS 15.0 software. Among 90 medical residents 59 (65.5%) answered the questionnaire. 79.7% considered satisfactory the preceptor's qualification and competence and 91.5% emphasized the importance of disease diversity and the number of patients seen during clinical practice. However, 49.2% reported not to be satisfied with the encouragement and the development of scientific activities during the specialization. The working hours were considered excessive by 54.2% of the medical residents and stressful for 80.0% of them, especially in Oncology and Anesthesiology programs. Most of them considered that their expectations were achieved during the residency. We conclude that the medical residency, despite some weaknesses, continues to be a satisfactory proposal for training of specialists.
Internship and Residency; Medical Education; Professional Training; Learning
