This study focused on the perceptions of medical students in the course on Clinical Examination in relation to contact with patients during bedside practical classes at the Lauro Wanderley University Hospital, Federal University in Paraíba, Brazil. The observational and descriptive study included a self-applied semi-structured questionnaire prepared and pretested by the authors. The study sample included 105 medical students ranging from 20 to 24 years of age (21 ± 1.1), 56.2% of whom were males. The vast majority (89, or 84.8%) reported difficulty in their initial clinical approach to patients, and 72 (68.6%) reported insecurity or fear. There was an increase in positive responses at later moments during the course, but 34.3% still reported negative feelings. Male students were more embarrassed when asking patients about intimate matters. These findings highlight the need to value ethical, humanistic, and psychopedagogical issues during undergraduate medical training.
Education; Medical; Curriculum; Teaching
