This article describes the seven years experience (1997-2003) of ESMS - Emotional Support for the Medicine Student of the Faculty of Medicine, "Santa Casa" of São Paulo - in special focusing on the offered psychotherapeutic counseling. The paper tells the history of this referral service, describes the professionals making part of the team, the goals and activities of the service. It presents quantitative and qualitative data about provided counseling, based on a retrospective analysis of medical records of the psychotherapy students during the period in question. The paper still discusses the experience of ESMS in relation to other services with the same goals, identifying similarities and specificities. It finalizes with considerations about the vicissitudes of this kind of work, its limitations and potentialities.
Students, Medical; Psychotherapy; Education, Medical; Stress
