Survey on attitudes toward end-of-life care among third-year students in the faculty of physical therapy: a study across the first and second semesters

Purpose This study aimed to clarify third-year students’ awareness of end-of-life care, using questionnaire items. Participants and Methods The participants were 81 third-year students enrolled in 2024 (post-clinical training group; post-G), and 84 third-year students enrolled in 2025 (pre-clinical training group; pre-G). This study was a cross-sectional observational study using questionnaire surveys for end-of-life care throughout the 2025 first (pre-G) and 2024 second (post-G) semesters. To examine whether completion of the 4-week clinical training was associated with awareness of end-of-life care, analyses were performed between two groups using the chi-square test. Results Regarding preferred place to spend final days, 79% selected home. In the final 3 months of life, 85% of students preferred to be allowed to die naturally to some extent, whereas 9% favored life-prolonging treatment only. A significant difference was found between pre-G and post-G in this item. Conclusion Commonly expressed wishes were for a natural death, dying at home, and being told of the status of their illness. It was suggested that, through clinical training, students may be able to develop perspectives more attuned to the experiences of patients and families.