Ethical aspects of organ transplantation from medical students’ perspective: a comparative study

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the knowledge and opinion of medical students from different years (1st and 4th year) of medical school regarding the ethical aspects related to the topic of organ transplantation. A pre-coded questionnaire covering sociodemographic aspects and matters related to transplants and organ donation was applied to a sample of 190 medical students (95 from 1st year and 95 from 4th year) from a college in Salvador (Brazil). It was concluded that the level of students’ knowledge regarding transplantation and organ donation was unsatisfactory in both groups. There was remarkable preference for practical aspects of transplantation to the detriment of anthropological ones, and at times students expressed unethical attitudes towards the dilemmas related to the theme in question.