Medical education in the public versus the private setting: a qualitative study of medical students’ attitudes

Abstract

Public hospitals serve as primary training sites for medical students. Public patients may therefore bear a disproportionate burden of medical student education. The purpose of this study was to critically examine the ethics of medical education in the public setting. Attitudes of first- and fourth-year students towards the role of public patients in medical education were elicited in focus groups. Inductive qualitative analysis was utilized to organize data into conceptual groups, which were then analyzed within an ethical framework. All patients have an equal obligation to participate in medical education. Students identified modifying factors that could affect a patient's obligation to educate future physicians. Available data highlight a concern that public teaching hospitals may provide a lower quality of care. If true, then the public teaching setting is creating an unfair burden upon that patient population who would then have a weakened obligation to participate in medical education.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

April Maa

APRIL MAA is currently a resident physician at UT Southwestern pursuing her training in ophthalmology. She obtained her MD and Ethics Certificate from Baylor College of Medicine.

Laurence B. McCullough

LAURENCE MCCULLOUGH is Professor of Medicine and Medical Ethics at Baylor College of Medicine's Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy. He directs one of the medical ethics track courses for Baylor and has published widely on topics in medical ethics.