Bioethics training for medical students through university outreach activities

Abstract

Objective: Prepare a proposal for teaching Bioethics for medical students at the Vargas School, based on extracurricular strategies. Methods: The methodological design corresponds to a descriptive study, with a quasi-experimental approach. A pilot group of 50 volunteer students from the Vargas School of Medicine was formed, to whom a diagnostic evaluation of bioethics competencies was carried out using a structured questionnaire to evaluate knowledge, skills and attitudes. The group, with the guidance of the main author, developed an extracurricular plan of training activities in bioethics, to be completed within a period of five months, and at the end of the plan the changes achieved were evaluated. Frequency analysis and non-parametric statistical methods were performed using the Wilcoxon test, using SPSS V25.0 software. Results: There was an increase of 35% in the answers considered correct in the questionnaire, going from 55% to 90%, with a statistically significant difference in the students' answers before and after receiving the induction in Bioethics. The activities that generated the greatest participation were the virtual deliberative ones through social networks, to which other members of the academic community spontaneously joined. The pilot group created a permanent student society called UCV Biometics, whose purpose is to promote bioethics training for students of the Faculty of Medicine. Based on the results obtained, changes were made to optimize the training plan and prepare the final proposal for the extension activity.