Ethical and bioethical training is essential to the humanization of care as recommended by Brazilian health policy and tothe development of a critically-minded professional. Recent studies have shown that ethics and bioethics are afforded limited class hours in medicinecourses. Their importance is also noteworthy in light of the high number of complaints against doctors that are received by the Regional Medical Councils. This study aimed at identifying the perception of sixthyear medical students concerning bioethical issues. Self-applicable questionnaires containing open-ended and closed-ended questions were presented to the students. Seventy out of ninety registered students answered them. Students considered curricular academic training and practical examplesgiven by teachers as important sources for learning ethics and bioethics. On the other hand, dissatisfaction was expressed regarding how the topic is approached in undergraduate courses. The study highlighted shortcomings in education which must be resolved in order to enhance ethical training and medical practice.
Ethics; Bioethics; Medical Ethics; Medical Students; Medical Education
