Australian medical students' perceptions of professionalism and ethics in medical television programs
2011

Australian Medical Students' Views on Medical TV Shows

Sample size: 386 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Roslyn Weaver, Ian Wilson

Primary Institution: University of Western Sydney

Hypothesis

What are undergraduate medical students' perceptions of professionalism and ethics in medical television programs?

Conclusion

Medical programs are relevant to students and can be useful in teaching strategies that engage them in ethical lessons about practicing medicine.

Supporting Evidence

  • 99.5% of respondents watched television in the past year.
  • Students had high recall of ethical topics portrayed on the shows.
  • Most students believed that medical programs portrayed ideals of professionalism well.
  • Female students were more likely than male students to watch Grey's Anatomy.
  • Students rated the realism of medical shows negatively.

Takeaway

Medical students watch a lot of medical TV shows, and these shows can help them think about ethics in medicine.

Methodology

A survey was administered to 386 undergraduate medical students to collect data on demographics, viewing habits, and perceptions of medical television programs.

Potential Biases

The study may not reflect the views of medical students from other universities or countries.

Limitations

The study was confined to one university in Australia and did not compare other student groups outside medicine.

Participant Demographics

{"age_mean":20.2,"sex_distribution":{"male":44.6,"female":55.4},"country_of_birth":{"Australia":53.6,"Overseas":46.4},"language_spoken_at_home":{"English":54.7,"Other":14.0,"Both":31.3},"part_time_employment":{"yes":44.6,"no":55.4}}

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1472-6920-11-50

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