[The perception of ethics from the point of view of medical students]

Rev Med Inst Mex Seguro Soc. 2016 Mar-Apr;54(2):230-41.
[Article in Spanish]

Abstract

Background: The present study was conducted to characterize the ethical environment in which medical students and internal are trained. The aim of this article is to identify the perception of ethics in medical students.

Methods: The instrument was constructed by pairs: the socially desirable and socially undesirable exploring 10 principles and 24 ethical values. Through rounds of experts the instrument was validated with 35 pairs with 70 statements. The internal consistency of the instrument with the coefficient of determination "r2" reached a "p" value of < 0.025.

Results: In the overall analysis to compare means, students gave higher scores than interns with "p" value of < 0.002. A comparison of the principal differences was found in seven of the ten principles explored and in three (freedom, honesty and solidarity) no differences were noted in the rate of perception of the ethics (RPE). The were statistically significant differences between groups with a "p" value of < 0.04 in which students perceive higher scores with interns.

Conclusions: We conclude that learning environments are not prone to ethical reflection and changes depending on the degree in training in medical school, with a worse perception in greater degrees.

Introducción: el presente estudio se realizó con el propósito de caracterizar el ambiente ético en el que se forman los estudiantes de medicina y médicos internos. El objetivo de este estudio es conocer la percepción de lo ético en estudiantes de medicina. Métodos: se construyó un instrumento con duplas: lo socialmente deseable y lo socialmente no deseable, que exploran 10 principios y 24 valores éticos. A través de rondas de expertos se validó el instrumento que comprendió 35 duplas con 70 enunciados. La consistencia interna del instrumento con el coeficiente de determinación “r2” alcanzó una p < 0.025. Resultados: en el análisis global, al comparar las medias, los estudiantes dieron mayor puntuación que los médicos internos con una p < 0.002. En la comparación por principios, se encontraron diferencias en 7 de los diez principios explorados y en tres (libertad, honradez y solidaridad) no se encontraron diferencias en el índice de percepción de lo ético (IPE). Hubo diferencias estadísticas significativas entre ambos grupos con una p < 0.04 en donde los estudiantes la perciben con mejores puntuaciones que los internos. Conclusiones: se concluye que los ambientes de aprendizaje son poco propicios para la reflexión ética y que cambian dependiendo del grado académico de formación en la carrera de medicina, en donde a mayor grado peor percepción.

Keywords: Codes of ethics; Medical education; Medical students; Professional ethics.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Attitude of Health Personnel*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Ethics, Medical / education*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Internship and Residency / ethics*
  • Male
  • Mexico
  • Prospective Studies
  • Students, Medical / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires