Former students’ perception of the contribution from the FOA – Unesp extramural dental service (SEMO) in the professional formation

Abstract

The extension activities aim at meeting a specific social demand, revitalizing and improving the teaching and consequently stimulating the research and the extension itself, contributing later to the transformation of the social reality. Since 1964, through an agreement with the City Hall of Araçatuba, the Araçatuba Dental School - UNESP (FOA) develops the Extramural Dental Service (SEMO). With the purpose of evaluating the importance of SEMO in the professional formation, it was verified the perception of former FOA graduation students, graduated in 1999, about this service, through a question annexed to the discipline’s evaluation, sent them by mail. In this study, the results obtained as answer and analyzed through the technique of social research denominated content analysis are presented. In the answers, quotations referring to the professional formation, to the work in public health services, to the social character of the service, to the clinical activities and the positive and negative aspects of SEMO can be found. The results confirm that the extramural activities developed in FOA - UNESP contributed to the professional formation of the former academics, qualifying professionals committed to the collective oral health.