Three hundred and nineteen students from the Medical School of ABC (Santo André-SP) responded to a self-evaluation questionnaire. 62.7% had optical correction, of these 53.3% showed simple myopia or myopia associated to astigmatism as refraction errors; 92.8% had heard about refractive surgery; 34.2% were aware of this surgical technique and only 17.6% knew about the risks including intra and post operative complications. Of the 200 students who showed to have ametropia, 50.5% would like to be submitted to surgery and 69.0% expected to have recovery after surgery. Of all students, 51.7% had their last ophthalmological exam in less than a year; 32% were seen between 1 and 3 years and 15.7% in three years. Therefore, within the scope of this study, there has been little information about refractive surgery in ophthalmology clinics, staying far behind families, friends and university.
Refraction, ocular; Refractive errors; Knowledge, attitudes, practice; Students, medical
