Are future physicians ready to be global citizens?: social responsibility tendencies of medical students.

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study is to determine the social responsibility levels of medical students and analyze global social responsibility levels based on different variables.

Methods: The sample of the study consisted of 1203 medical students enrolled in a Faculty of Medicine in the 2023-2024 academic year. A sociodemographic information form and the Global Social Responsibility Scale were used to collect data. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, and mean) and the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Results: The participants had the highest mean score in the ecological responsibility dimension and the lowest mean score in the national responsibility dimension. The global social responsibility levels of the participants were significantly related to their gender, class year, economic status, maternal education levels, membership in student societies and non-governmental organizations, history of taking part in social responsibility projects, status of having taken the social services course, and status of following developments happening in the world.

Conclusion: In the resolution of global issues, the existence of responsible individuals is important. Offering incentives to students who take part in social responsibility projects, ensuring that they participate in national and international social responsibility projects, and encouraging them to become members of non-governmental organizations will have a key role in their acquisition of relevant skills.