The goal of this study was to describe the socioeconomic profile of medical students at the Federal University in Espírito Santo (UFES) and learn their opinions and expectations towards medical education. A cross-sectional study in 2007 included 229 medical students. A self-applied, anonymous questionnaire was used to collect socioeconomic data and information on the medical course and the teaching-learning process. The sample's characteristics were: female gender (50.2%), white (68.6%), single (98.7%), monthly family income greater than BR$3,000.00, or approximately U$1,750.00 (77.7%), graduated from private secondary schools (80.3%), and parents with university education (65.0%). The students had chosen medicine for personal and vocational reasons (66.4%) and expected professional and financial advancement (75.5%). They reported an overload of educational/training activities (79.0%) and limited leisure time. They described the teacher-student relationship as teacher-centered or teacher-predominated (68.2%), and 88.6% had at least one extracurricular activity. The findings confirmed the high-level economic and cultural profile of medical students at UFES, the harmful effect of the curriculum overload on leisure-time activities, and the influence of the Flexner Report on medical education.