[Medical students as members of the health care team]

Teaching hospitals include both undergraduate and postgraduate students, but the role of medical students in the health care team has not been clearly established.

To know the opinion of different professionals about the role of medical students and how this opinion may have an influence in medical education.

A qualitative method was used, asking open questions to focus groups of physicians, nurses and midwives, technicians and undergraduate medical students of 4th and 5th grade.

Physicians believe that medical students have no special role in the health care team, nurses think that they may help in communication with patients, and technicians (nurses's aids) value their companionship and closeness with patients. Medical students recognize that their main function is to learn but they are aware that they do help patients. They suggest increasing their integration with other students of other health related careers.

Although medical students are usually not seen as part of the health care team, they may fulfill a role with patients during their clinical learning practice. This would improve the quality of their training and the multidisciplinary work of the health care team.