Moralische Kompetenz bei Medizinstudierenden – Vergleich zwischen Studierenden des ersten Semesters und des Praktischen Jahres

Zusammenfassung

Ziel der Studie Neben der Vermittlung von theoretischen und klinisch-praktischen Fähigkeiten sollte die Weiterentwicklung der individuellen moralischen Kompetenz ein weiteres Kernanliegen im Studium der Humanmedizin sein. Untersuchungen zeigen allerdings, dass die moralische Kompetenz bei Medizinstudierenden im Verlauf des Studiums stagniert oder sogar abnimmt. Die vorliegende Querschnittstudie untersuchte daher die moralische Kompetenz von Medizinstudierenden zu Beginn des Studiums (d. h. im ersten Fachsemester) sowie im Praktischen Jahr (PJ) sowie die Auswirkungen von Testosteron als Neurohormon auf die moralische Urteilsfähigkeit.

Methodik Im Rahmen einer Querschnittstudie wurden mittels des Moralischen Kompetenz Tests (MKT) nach Lind die moralische Urteilsfähigkeit von 24 Erstsemesterstudierenden und 16 PJ-Studierenden der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover erfasst und ausgewertet. Der Testosteron-Serumspiegel der Studienteilnehmenden wurde statistisch in Beziehung zu den MKT-Ergebnissen gesetzt.

Ergebnisse Es zeigten sich keine signifikanten Unterschiede zwischen Erstsemester- (Mittelwert (M)±Standardabweichung (SD): 13,16±8,21) und PJ-Studierenden (M±SD: 11,24±8,07) im Hinblick auf die mittels des MKT gemessene moralische Kompetenz (p=0,36). Ein höherer Testosteron-Serumspiegel zeigte keine statistisch signifikante Korrelation mit der moralischen Kompetenz (r=–0,09, p=0,58).

Schlussfolgerung Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen keinen klaren Trend, ob die moralische Kompetenz bei Medizinstudierenden in fortgeschrittenen Studiensemestern geringer ist als zu Beginn des Studiums und ob die moralische Kompetenz durch das Neurohormon Testosteron beeinflusst wird. Dennoch erscheint es sinnvoll, moralische Kompetenztrainings für Medizinstudierende frühzeitig, kontinuierlich und möglichst individuell gestaltet während des Medizinstudiums zu implementieren (und in weiterführenden Untersuchungen zu evaluieren), um einer Stagnation bzw. Rückentwicklung der moralischen Urteilsfähigkeit präventiv zu begegnen.

Abstract

Objective In addition to teaching theoretical and clinical-practical skills, the development of individual moral competence should be another core concern in medical school. However, research suggests that moral competence in students of human medicine stagnates or even declines during the course of medical school. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study investigated the moral competence of medical students at the beginning of their studies and during their practical year, as well as the effects of testosterone as a neurohormone on moral judgment.

Methods By means of a cross-sectional study, the moral judgment ability of 24 first-year and 16 practical year students of Hannover Medical School was recorded and evaluated with the Moral Competence Test (MCT) according to Lind. The testosterone serum level of the study participants was statistically related to the MCT results.

Results No significant differences between first-year (mean±standard deviation (SD): 13.16±8.21) and practical year students (mean±SD: 11.24±8.07) with regard to moral competence as per the MCT were identified (p=0.36). Higher serum testosterone levels did not show a statistically significant correlation with moral competence (r=–0.09, p=0.58).

Conclusion Our results do not show a clear trend whether moral competence is lower in medical students in advanced semesters compared to the beginning of medical school and whether moral competence is influenced by the neurohormone testosterone. Nevertheless, it seems reasonable to implement moral competence training for medical students early, continuously, and as individually designed as possible during medical school (and to evaluate it in further studies) in order to preventively counteract stagnation or regression of moral judgment.

Schlüsselwörter

Moralische Urteilsfähigkeit - Medizinstudium - Kompetenzen - Testosteron

Key words

moral judgement - medical study - competences - testosterone

^* geteilte Erstautorenschaft

Publication History

Received: 11 September 2021

Accepted: 17 August 2022

Article published online:
04 October 2022

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