Comparative description of "primary" bioethical notions of first-year and final-year medical students

Abstract

Objective: to conduct a sociological study aimed at identifying the «primary» bioethical notions of the first-year and six-year students of the Faculty of General Medicine of the educational institution «Gomel State Medical University».

Material and methods. The results of a survey of 115 first-year students and 114 six-year students of the Faculty of General Medicine were analyzed.

Results. The survey has revealed statistically significant differences in the responses of the first- and six-year students to questions regarding the use of the human body or its separate organs and tissues for purposes of practical medicine or biomedical research ( χ² = 5.27; p = 0.022), personal social status as the basis for making decisions about any medico-biological manipulation ( χ² = 9.33; p = 0.002), necessity of the present-day form of human biological existence in future ( χ² = 6.51; p = 0.011), acceptability of separating personal consciousness from the physical body for the human society in future ( χ² = 4.23; p = 0.04), necessity to take a special «oath» to perform professional activities in everyday medical practice ( χ² = 8.92; p = 0.003).

Conclusion. The results of the study have shown that the first-year students have no clearly formed system of bioethical notions of living beings and possibilities for medical manipulations with them due to the lack of essential relevant knowledge. The sixth year students demonstrate more conscious answers to the questionnaire questions, which indicates the presence of theoretical knowledge and formation of their bioethical outlook for the subsequent development of practical skills for making moral decisions on this basis.