Ethical and Moral Issues in Undergraduate Medical Education: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Background: Ethical and moral values form the basis of the environment in any academic institution. Objectives: This study aimed to explore the ethical and moral issues faced by medical students during their undergraduate medical education in Pakistan. Methods: This qualitative exploratory study was conducted at ABWA Medical College, Faisalabad. It included thirteen semi-structured, one-to-one interviews of volunteering undergraduate medical students of Punjab, Pakistan, from September 2021 to February 2022. The interview invitation was sent electronically to social media groups. Member checking of transcribed interviews was done, and data were analyzed thematically using Atlas-ti software by two independent researchers. Results: Thematic data analysis led to the formation of 28 codes, 13 subthemes, and 3 main themes. Based on the social constructive approach, three main themes were categorized into ethical issues in (1) academic, (2) social, and (3) clinical contexts. Conclusions: The results showed that undergraduate medical students face a myriad of ethical and moral disruptions during their undergraduate study period at medical college. Much awareness about identifying and dealing with such issues is recommended to bring more quality to the program.