Knowledge, attitudes, and willingness to donate organs among clinical and pre-clinical medical students in the West Bank, Palestine: a cross-sectional study

Organ donation can significantly improve patient outcomes, yet donation rates in Palestine remain low. As future healthcare advocates, medical students’ perspectives are crucial but largely unexamined in the local context. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and willingness toward organ donation among clinical and pre-clinical medical students in the West Bank, Palestine. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2024 to September 2025. A structured online questionnaire, adapted from validated tools, was distributed to medical students in their second to sixth year at five universities across the West Bank using convenience sampling. Data from 787 students were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, t-tests, and multivariable analysis to identify factors associated with willingness to donate. Participants generally demonstrated positive attitudes, with a majority viewing organ donation as a selfless act (69.2%) and as ethically acceptable (68%). However, only 40.7% were willing to donate. Significant clinical knowledge gaps were identified; for instance, only 13.9% of students correctly identified all transplantable organs. Furthermore, significant institutional skepticism was a major barrier, as only 53.3% of students felt the organ donation systems were transparent. Willingness to donate was significantly higher among females (p = 0.001) and was strongly associated with the student’s university (p < 0.001), good knowledge (p < 0.001), and a positive attitude (p = 0.004). A significant gap exists between Palestinian medical students’ positive attitudes toward organ donation and their personal willingness to donate. Specific knowledge deficits and deep-seated institutional skepticism primarily drive this discrepancy. Overcoming these barriers requires a dual strategy: integrating targeted organ donation education into the medical curriculum and establishing a transparent national regulatory framework to build public and professional trust.