Our study concentrates on the relationships between advisors and their students at the Vocational Scientific Program (Programa de Vocação Científica) called Provoc, at Joaquim Venâncio Politechnical Health School (http://ewh.ieee.org/soc/pcs/newsletter/www.epsjv.fiocruz.br). This program emerged in Rio de Janeiro, in 1986, and it is part of a much larger biomedical research organization named Oswald Cruz Foundation (Fundação Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ), associated with the Brazilian Ministry of Health.