Abstract:
The University of Sao Paulo Medical School introduced a new curriculum in 1998. The core curriculum maintains the traditional courses, while elective courses cover these same subjects in greater depth as wel1 as including new or non-medical themes. This prospective study aimed to evaluate the supply of elective courses at the school The electives offered in 2002 in which no students enrolled, as well as highly-booked electives had their professors invited to a semi-structured interview. The elective courses' objectives, preparatory processes, motivahng factors, and grading methodologies were all investigated. Students answered a questionnaire on their reasons for choosing given elective courses. Twenty-three professors of courses with enrollment ranging from zero to 13 students attended the interviews. There was no difference regarding the credits offered. Lower enrollment was related to review courses, and higher enrolment was observed in courses offering practical skills. The intetpretations for passing or failing wer the same for the two categories. Students choose electives because of the higher number of credits offered Elective courses receive higher enrollment when they offer practical skills.
Key-words:
Curricula; Medical, Education; Qualitative Research