Is Future of Medicine Safe in the Hands of Young Medical Practitioners? Perceptions of Medical Students Regarding Academic Misconduct

Article Information

Title: Is Future of Medicine Safe in the Hands of Young Medical Practitioners? Perceptions of Medical Students Regarding Academic Misconduct

Authors: Samreen Misbah, Syed Fawad Mashhadi, Fatima Ayaz Zuberi, Elia Ali, Seerat Fatima, Khinshan Haider, Nasir Saeed, Muhammad Umar Riaz

Journal: Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal (PAFMJ)

HEC Recognition History

Category	From	To
Y	2024-10-01	2025-12-31
Y	2023-07-01	2024-09-30
Y	2021-07-01	2022-06-30
Y	2020-07-01	2021-06-30
Y	1900-01-01	2005-06-30

Publisher: Army Medical College, Rawalpindi.

Country: Pakistan

Year: 2022

Volume: 72

Issue: Supplementary 4

Language: English

DOI: 10.51253/pafmj.v72iSUPPL-4.9645

Keywords: AttitudestudentsPlagiarismMedicalFraudProfessional misconduct

Abstract

Objective: To assess the self-reported attitude and behavior of MBBS students towards academic misconduct and to identify the differences of responses.
Study design: Analytical cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of study: Army Medical College, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from May to Sep 2022.
Methodology: MBBS students from first to final year of both genders who consented to participate were included in the study while excluding unwilling students. Data were collected from 396 medical students by convenience sampling using avalidated questionnaire by the University of Dundee. After formal ethical approval responses were obtained on 14 scenarios.Data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26. For descriptive statistics frequency and percentages wereidentified, and Pearson’s Chi-Square test was used to find out the differences in responses among all year (p&lt;0.05).
Results: Among participants with mean age 20.93±1.57, there were 285(72%) males and 111(28%) females. In attitude response a significant difference was found for year one students as copying answers or asking about OSCE, copying from published papers, and submitting already submitted work were not considered wrong. In behavior response a significant difference was found for final year students in copying answer or discussing OSCE for degree exam.
Conclusion: Participants of this study were morally alert when it involves patients’ well-being, however there is vulnerability to commit academic misconduct in all years. Perspective of medical students on cheating, plagiarism, signature forgery is same regardless of seniority and gender. Students’ own consideration along with institutional policies may help creating culture against academic dishonesty.

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Research Objective

To assess the self-reported attitude and behavior of MBBS students towards academic misconduct and to identify differences in their responses.

Methodology

Analytical cross-sectional study conducted at Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, from May to September 2022. Data were collected from 396 MBBS students (first to final year) using a validated questionnaire based on 14 scenarios. Convenience sampling was employed. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26, with descriptive statistics (frequency and percentages) and Pearson's Chi-Square test for differences among year groups (p<0.05).

Methodology Flowchart

                        graph TD;
    A["Ethical Approval"] --> B["Data Collection via Questionnaire"];
    B --> C["Data Analysis"SPSS""];
    C --> D["Descriptive Statistics"];
    C --> E["Pearson's Chi-Square Test"];
    D --> F["Identify Frequencies and Percentages"];
    E --> G["Identify Differences Among Year Groups"];
    F --> H["Results"];
    G --> H;
    H --> I["Conclusion"];

Discussion

Academic integrity is a crucial component of medical professionalism. While students generally perceive academic misconduct negatively, there is a vulnerability to commit it across all years. Competitive environments and lack of accountability contribute to these behaviors. Reporting misconduct is seen as beneficial, but fear of repercussions or losing friendships hinders self-reporting. Institutional policies and student involvement are crucial in fostering a culture against academic dishonesty.

Key Findings

A significant difference in attitude was found for first-year students regarding copying answers, asking about OSCE, copying from published papers, and submitting previously submitted work, which they did not consider wrong. Final-year students showed a significant difference in behavior regarding copying answers or discussing OSCE for degree exams. Most students considered falsifying examination results as the most serious misconduct. While a majority believed students should report misconduct, fewer would do so themselves.

Conclusion

Medical students are morally alert regarding patient well-being but exhibit vulnerability to academic misconduct. Perceptions of cheating, plagiarism, and signature forgery are similar across genders and seniority levels. Creating a culture against academic dishonesty requires a combination of students' own considerations and institutional policies.

Fact Check

- The study was conducted from May to September 2022. (Confirmed)
- Data were collected from 396 medical students. (Confirmed)
- Pearson's Chi-Square test was used to find differences in responses among all year groups with a significance level of p<0.05. (Confirmed)

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