Medical Students' Attitudes Toward Physician-Assisted Suicide

CONTEXT: In November 1994, Oregon became the first US state to physician-assisted suicide (PAS) as an option for end-of-life care.: This study compares the attitudes and experiences of medical in Oregon regarding PAS to those of fourth-year medical students in United States outside Oregon. DESIGN: A survey of all students at the Health Sciences University and fourth-year medical students at 3-Oregonian US medical schools. PARTICIPANTS: Oregon medical students 227 questionnaires (58%), and 113 were returned from control schools(33%). RESULTS: A similar percentage of both study groups favored the of PAS (64% vs 66%; P = .74). If the practice were legal, 55% of total surveyed reported they "might be willing to write a lethal," (50% Oregon students vs 60% control; P = .13 and 44%-year Oregon students vs 60% control; P = .04). Among fourth-year, 20% reported a request by a patient to the student or a preceptor a lethal prescription in the past year (26% vs 16%; P = .09). CONCLUSIONS: study demonstrates support for and willingness by many medical students participate in PAS. Some medical students reported observation of PAS their training experience. Fourth-year Oregon students reported less willingness than other students to provide a patient with a prescription, perhaps indicating hesitancy to include PAS in clinical.