The formational function of the university must establish a relationship with the society to be able to respond to its needs. In this connection, medical schools have been promoting curricular reforms seeking for new teaching and learning scenarios responding as much to the principles of the Brazilian Health System as to the Curricular Guidelines, complementing each other in the sense of preparing critical professionals for the health area. The objective of this paper was to describe the extra-curricular activities performed by students in the Municipal Health Council of Botucatu in the period 2000-2005, and their perception of the role of these activities in their formation. With regard to the methodology, the students participated in MHC meetings, red the records, interviewed the members of the council, participated in encounters held for preparing health councilors and elaborated an evaluative report. The students were unanimous in appreciating this experience, which allowed them to develop reflective capacity, part of the construction of social responsibility. The experience also contributed to the articulation of teaching and social demands, the expected role of the university, promoting a change in the persons involved.
Student, Medical; Health Planning Councils; Social Responsibility