PURPOSE: to identify ethically conflicting situations experienced by medical students of UERJ and recommend new bioethic contents to be incorporated in the curriculum. METHODS: we have carried out an observational, cross sectional study with medical students in the last two years of the course, the period when the practice probation of interns occurs. The students had to fill out a questionnaire with personal data and open questions about conflicting situations from the point of view of ethics and how these situations had been solved, In addition there was a question about ethical issues which they would like to be included in the medical curriculum. RESULTS: Nearly seventy per cent of the students (n=128) filled out the questionnaire and reported situations and suggestions involving a wide variety of ethical issues, which, in most cases, are not a part of the school curriculum. Conflicts were identified and suggestions were separated into three broad groups: medical learning situations; situations related to medical practice with the patients and situations which involved legal and political health care matters. CONCLUSION: it is fundamental that these contents be included in the medical curriculum thereby enabling future professionals to better face new challenges arising in health care for the population.
Medical education; Medical ethics; Bioethics
