Examining Medical Student Attitudes Towards Physician-Assisted Suicide

Physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is a highly debated issue. The Sue Rodriguez case highlighted the importance and the contentious nature of this issue in our society today. This study assessed attitudes towards PAS held by first and fourth year medical students at the University of Western Ontario via a 13 question anonymous survey. One hundred and twenty-four surveys were returned with a response rate of 53%. Respondents, especially those in fourth year, were unwilling to aid in PAS in the capacity of physicians (63% overall unwilling; P = 0.004). They wanted PAS to be an option, however, if they were patients themselves (64% overall; P = 0.002). A variety of factors were considered important in making decisions regarding PAS, especially a patient's clear understanding of medical management options. Most respondents welcomed (39%) or were neutral (45%) towards legalization of PAS. Opinions towards PAS tended not to change over the course of medical school (72% overall; P < 0.001). Students generally favoured the concept of PAS as long as they did not have to take part in it themselves. Although no differences between first and fourth year medical students were detected concerning their opinions towards PAS, willingness to participate may be affected by personal experience with patients.

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Required Longitudinal Service-Learning and Its Effects on Medical Students’ Attitudes Toward the Underserved

Medical Science Educator ◽

10.1007/s40670-021-01350-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Monica Rose Arebalos ◽

Faun Lee Botor ◽

Edward Simanton ◽

Jennifer Young

Keyword(s):

Medical Education ◽

Medical Students ◽

Service Learning ◽

Student Attitudes ◽

Underserved Populations ◽

Preclinical Phase ◽

School Of Medicine ◽

Students Attitudes ◽

Medical Student Attitudes ◽

The University

AbstractAlthough medical students enter medicine with altruistic motives and seek to serve indigent populations, studies show that medical students’ attitudes towards the undeserved tend to worsen significantly as they go through their medical education. This finding emphasizes the need for medical educators to implement activities such as service-learning that may help mitigate this negative trend.All students at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) School of Medicine are required to participate in longitudinal service-learning throughout medical school, and a majority of students interact with the underserved at their service-learning sites. Using the previously validated Medical Student Attitudes Towards the Underserved (MSATU), independent sample T-tests showed that students who interact with underserved populations at their sites scored with significantly better attitudes towards the underserved at the end of their preclinical phase. Subjects included 58 medical students with 100% taking the MSATU. This result indicates that longitudinal service-learning, particularly when it includes interaction with the underserved, can be one method to combat the worsening of medical students’ attitudes as they complete their medical education.

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Medical Student Attitudes Toward Communication Skills Training and Knowledge of Appropriate Provider-Patient Communication: A Comparison of First-Year and Fourth-Year Medical Students

Medical Education Online ◽

10.3402/meo.v11i.4594 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 4594 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Kevin B. Wright ◽

Carma Bylund ◽

Jennifer Ware ◽

Patricia Parker ◽

Jim L. Query ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Student ◽

Medical Students ◽

Communication Skills ◽

Student Attitudes ◽

Skills Training ◽

Patient Communication ◽

First Year ◽

Communication Skills Training ◽

Fourth Year Medical Students ◽

Medical Student Attitudes

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Attitudes towards physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in Spanish university students

Revista Bioética ◽

10.1590/1983-80422019273333 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

pp. 490-499 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

María Sol Rodríguez-Calvo ◽

José Luis Soto ◽

Isabel María Martínez-Silva ◽

Fernando Vázquez-Portomeñe ◽

José Ignacio Muñoz-Barús

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

University Students ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Assisted Suicide ◽

Willingness To Participate ◽

Physician Assisted Suicide ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Assisted Death ◽

Academic Degree

Abstract Attitudes toward physician-assisted death among medical students differ between populations. The aim of this study was to explore attitudes towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide among Spanish university students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted by asking undergraduate students (Medicine, Nursing and Law) of the University of Santiago de Compostela to complete an anonymous 17-item questionnaire. Most participants exhibited a positive attitude towards physician-assisted suicide (54%) and euthanasia (75%), as well as towards their legalization. Attitudes were consistent with the underlying ethical reasoning, with no differences in terms of age, gender or academic degree. In addition, consistency was found between attitudes and willingness to participate in physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia, should they be legal. The results showed that the attitudes of medical students towards euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide were positive and similar to non-medical students.

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Stigma in Psychiatry: Impact of a Virtual and Traditional Psychiatry Clerkship on Medical Student Attitudes

Academic Psychiatry ◽

10.1007/s40596-021-01541-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Khalid Bazaid ◽

Kevin Simas ◽

Abdellah Bezzahou

Keyword(s):

Medical Student ◽

Medical Students ◽

Student Attitudes ◽

Response Rate ◽

Student Response ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Parametric Statistics ◽

Students Attitudes ◽

Medical Student Attitudes ◽

The University

Abstract Objective The objective of the study was to assess the change in medical students’ attitudes towards psychiatry following a virtual clerkship experience compared to a traditional clerkship experience. Method Ninety-seven medical students from the University of Ottawa were assessed pre- and post-clerkship on the ATP-30 (Attitudes Towards Psychiatry-30) measure. Cohorts of students were categorized as pre-COVID or during-COVID depending on when and how they experienced their clerkship (traditional or virtual). The total student response rate was approximately 48%. A quasi-experimental design was implemented, and non-parametric statistics were used to analyze the data. Results Medical students’ overall attitudes towards psychiatry improved from pre- to post-clerkship, with the type of clerkship experience (traditional or virtual) having no significant impact on the magnitude to which attitudes improved. Conclusion Implementation of a virtual clerkship in psychiatry did not deteriorate medical student attitudes towards psychiatry as a specialty, with both the traditional and virtual clerkship program enhancing students’ attitudes towards psychiatry favorably.

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Attitudes toward euthanasia and physician assisted suicide: A survey among medical students, oncology clinicians, and palliative care specialists

Palliative & Supportive Care ◽

10.1017/s1478951506060329 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 251-255 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

M.C. MARINI ◽

H. NEUENSCHWANDER ◽

F. STIEFEL

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Palliative Care ◽

Medical Students ◽

Health Care Professionals ◽

Assisted Suicide ◽

Psychiatric Patients ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Physician Assisted Suicide ◽

Dying Patients ◽

The University

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the results of surveys about attitudes toward euthanasia and related issues that was conducted among palliative care specialists, health care professionals of a cancer center, and first- and second-year medical students.Methods: By means of an anonymous questionnaire with different hypothetical scenarios concerning physician assisted suicide (PAS) and related issues, 726 members of the Swiss Association for Palliative Care (SAPC), 148 health care professionals of the Institute of Oncology of Italian speaking Switzerland (IOSI), and 140 medical students of the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, were surveyed.Results: Among palliative care specialists a decreasing number supported PAS, direct active euthanasia (DAE), DAE for psychiatric patients, DAE in incompetent patients, and life terminating acts without explicit request (LAWER). Professionals of the cancer center were more in favor of DAE and PAS than palliative care specialists, but less in favor than medical students.Significance of results: Significant variations among different professionals exist in attitudes toward euthanasia. The hypothesis that familiarity with the care of severely ill and dying patients is an important underlying factor explaining variance has been confirmed by these surveys.

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A Quantitative Assessment of the Need for Offering Counselling Services to Medical Students attending University of Zambia, School of Medicine.

Christian Journal for Global Health ◽

10.15566/cjgh.v7i2.325 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 93-103

Author(s):

Gretchen Slover

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Counseling Services ◽

Student Responses ◽

Counselling Services ◽

School Of Medicine ◽

Comprehensive Picture ◽

Fourth Year Medical Students ◽

The Subject ◽

The University ◽

Therapy Sessions

Background: This research was birthed in 2017 during a trip to Lusaka, Zambia, with the purpose of offering fourth-year, medical students attending the University of Zambia, School of Medicine, lectures on psychology topics as part of their clinical studies. Students were also offered brief therapy sessions where they could process thoughts and feelings causing them internal struggles. The subject of offering counseling on a regular basis was randomly discussed with the students. From these discussions the need for this research became evident, with the intent of becoming the launching pad to brainstorm the most effective ways of developing a plan to offer counseling services for all medical students attending the University of Zambia School of Medicine. Methods: An-experimental research design, consisting of completion of a 12-item questionnaire administered by paper and pen. The inclusion criteria were the fourth year, medical students attending the University of Zambia, School of Medicine. Results: The student responses revealed that most of them had little to no experience with counseling services, but a strong desire for them. Discussion: The goal of this study was to simply establish a need for an on-campus counseling service, the need of which has been established by the very students who would benefit. With the acceptance of this need, the future plan is to explore the different ways in which this need can be fulfilled with minimal costs to the Medical School Program. Conclusion: This study is the first step towards identifying the needs of the medical students and sets the ground-work for further research into the specific areas of need and mental health challenges. More specificity in the area of demographics of students will produce a more comprehensive picture of the areas of concentration for the therapists offering services.

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