Recent studies point to the importance of more comprehensive investigations about the universe of medical education, emphasizing the complex scenario of attitudes involved. Although the course is exhausting, medical students participate in a wide range of extracurricular activities during graduation, thus aggregating multiple experiences to their academic curricula. Using triangulation of methods, this study assessed how medical students perceive their extracurricular activities and the role these play in their education. The study was conducted based on 3 strategies: 1) Questionnaires applied to 1st-6th-year medical students (n = 423); 2) Individual interviews (n = 24); 3) Interviews with two focal groups (n = 14). Qualitative data analysis shows that the medical students identify their involvement in extracurricular activities and/or programs as attempts to fill in curricular gaps, interact with colleagues, supplement the graduation course, increase their well-being and answer to professional queries, in summary, a variety of motivations The individual and collective dimension of this methodology allowed all heterogeneity inherent to the everyday life of medical education to emerge.
Education, Medical; Education, Professional; Students, Medical; Curriculum
