title: Medical ethics and tomorrow's physicians: an aspect of coverage in the formal curriculum.
abstract: Medical ethics has created contentious issues and requires reforms in medical education such as renewed emphasis on formal instruction. The aim here was to review the current status of bioethics teaching in medical schools, determine Saudi students' perception of its coverage in the formal curriculum and make recommendations. Using a self-administered questionnaire in a cross-sectional study, undergraduate students' opinion about medical ethics coverage was obtained. Fourteen clinical departments and 201 students were studied. Only 46% of respondents were satisfied with the current coverage of ethical issues in the formal curriculum; 23% were unaware of the value of the subject. Students' approval rate was highest in Neurology and Psychiatry (70%). The study confirmed inadequate formal instruction on medical ethics in a developing country. Five recommendations are made. At admission, students' integrity and character should be assessed. Bioethics should be taught in clinical settings. In the Islamic world, medical curricula should include the Islamic code of medical ethics. Peers, nurses and patients should evaluate graduates' performance in ethics at the bedside. Evidence-based assessment and continuous quality improvement are required to maintain the requisite standard.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. khalid_umran@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Khalid Umran
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Al-Umran
authors.forename: Basil Abdulrahman
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Al-Shaikh
authors.forename: Bassam Hassan
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Al-Awary
authors.forename: Abdullah Mohammed
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Al-Rubaish
authors.forename: Fahd Abdulaziz
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Al-Muhanna
mesh_terms: D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D003906:Developing Countries; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D004992:Ethics, Medical / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam; D009462:Neurology; D011570:Psychiatry; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires