INTRODUCTION: During medical school, the students' values and attitudes are affected by knowledge, environment and training. Due to the possible predictive potential, __ the diagnoses and monitoring of the attitude aspects needed for the professional exercise could propitiate changes in the process of the professional identity formation for the implementation of a renewed medical practice. OBJECTIVES: To measure the attitudes and to evaluate the behavior changes during the graduation process. METHOD: A cohort study, descriptive and quantitative, in which it was utilized a questionnaire, that applied in two moments an attitude range (Miranda, 2006) analyzing five aspects: environment, knowledge, beliefs, ethics and society. The attitudes were categorized in positive, negative and conflicting. The subjects were 202 medical students (52.85% women and 47.15% men), from the first to the eighth periods, with a mean age of 21.45 years; 91.50% from private schools; 97.52% single; from good socio-cultural family standards; 91.54% from the South Region, being 48,77% from the State; 86.63% did not perform extracurricular activities; and 86.07% had as their goal to join the residency program after graduation. RESULT: Identified two groups, with a probable homogeneity of behavior, with positive attitudinal trend, more common in females, demonstrating a probable conflict in belief dimension. CONCLUSIONS: Students tended to positive attitudinal aspects___ relevant to the medical practice, and showed no substantial differences considering the phases and the periods studied. Were perceived attitudinal conflicts in certain areas, allowing for a reflection of a possible association with educational issues, and providing subsidies for future studies.
Medical Education; Attitude; Psychometrics; Curriculum; Medical Students
