title: The failure of medical education to develop moral reasoning in medical students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to determine differences in moral judgment among students in medical school.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study involved students currently enrolled in undergraduate medical education. Recruited via email, 192 students took an online version of the Defining Issues Test to determine their current stage of moral judgment, as well as their percentage of postconventional thought. Independent variables included year of graduation, which indicated curriculum completion as well as participation in a professionalism course. Data was analyzed primarily using One-Way Analysis of Variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 192 participants, 165 responses were utilized. ANOVA showed no significant differences in moral judgment between or among any of the student cohorts, which were grouped by year of matriculation. Comparisons included students in the four years of medical school, divided by graduation year; students about to graduate (n=30) vs. those still in school (n=135); and students who had participated in a course in professionalism (n=91) vs. those who had not (n=74).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate a lack of evolution in the moral reasoning of medical students and raise the issue of what might stimulate positive changes in moral judgment during the medical school experience.
authors.affiliation: Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Research, College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Memphis, Tennessee, USA.
authors.forename: Vicki S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Murrell
mesh_terms: D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000941:ethics / Q000592:standards; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004992:Ethics, Medical / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000941:ethics; D008297:Male; D009014:Morals; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics; D066107:Social Skills; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Medical education; medical training; moral development; moral development in medical education