Altruism levels of medical students: a comparative perspective

This study aims to compare the altruism levels of medical faculty students with other students and to understand the reasons for the decline of altruism in the medical profession. The sample consists of a total of 454 university students, comprising 309 females and 145 males, selected through random sampling from the faculties of medicine, education, and engineering. Data on altruism were obtained using the Altruism Scale, a Likert-type measurement tool that measures four sub-dimensions: family, social, helpful, and responsibility. The results revealed that medical students had significantly lower total altruism scores compared to both education and engineering students. This difference emerged most prominently in the "helpful" and "responsibility" sub-dimensions and could not be explained by demographic factors such as age and gender, or personality traits like extroversion. Furthermore, the findings showed that medical students already begin their education with a low level of altruism, and these levels remain statistically low without significant change throughout the preclinical years. The study concluded that the low altruism in medical students is not a result of an educational "erosion" of initially high ideals, but rather stems from structural factors. It is suggested that the student selection system for medical schools, which is highly competitive and based solely on multiple-choice tests, prioritizes academic achievement over humanistic values and thereby selects students who are motivated by status and career security rather than a desire to help. Additionally, the theory-heavy, competitive, and patient-distant preclinical educational environment fails to nurture or develop altruistic values. These findings challenge the dominant erosion narrative and indicate that a fundamental re-evaluation of student selection criteria and the educational curriculum is necessary to actively select for and cultivate altruism, a core value of the medical profession. It is recommended that longitudinal studies be conducted to follow students into their clinical years to observe further developments.