INTRODUCTION: The discipline Basic Care is an interdepartmental program of the Faculty of Medicine of the São Paulo University, supported by three local Basic Care Units offering the Family Health Program. This study evaluates its implementation. METHODS: Questionnaires aimed at evaluation of the environment, Delphi and self-assessment with a competence scale. Results:One hundred and sixty two freshmen in 2004 (93%), 142 in 2005 (81%) and 129 third year students (74%) responded. Among the freshmen, provide orientation about how to use the health services, household visits and health promotion, offer support and identify risk situations, and among the third year students "medical appointments with adults" and "group meetings with patients" reached the level "procedure performed with guidance of somebody". Acquired capacities were sense of the social and health reality, perform Health Agent functions and understand the Family Health Program, Basic Care and Health System. The perception of the environment differed between local Units or Teams. DISCUSSION: The evaluation suggested reasonable capacity for performing the functions of a Health Agent. The terms Health System, Family Health Program and Basic Care were part of the vocabulary of the students. CONCLUSION: The discipline reached a positive evaluation with regard to following-up individuals, families and the community.
Education; Medical; Primary Health Care; Community Health Planning
