Why medicine? Freshmen and professional choice in the context of mentoring

• Grant number: 13/10053-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2013
• End date: March 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Patrícia Lacerda Bellodi
• Grantee: Ana Letícia Fornazieri Darcie
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Motivations for choosing Medicine as a career are related to many different factors and can be associated with students' academic and professional development, as well as with their emotional welfare. This study aims to deepen and broaden the discussion about motivations for a career in Medicine, analyzing first-year medical students' reasons for choosing the profession, in a decade (2003-2013), in a mentoring program in a Medicine school (Programa Tutors FMUSP). This qualitative study, by documentary research, will analyze Mentors' reviews (Diário do Tutor), according to the method of content analysis, defining categories related to the purpose of the study. We aim to determine the main motivations for choosing Medicine and, verifying some changes over time, to contribute to the improvement of institutional actions to support and develop future physicians. (AU)