Professional Ethics of Medical Interns in Clinical Settings of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences from the Perspective of Professors: A Descriptive-Analytical Study

Background and purpose: Professional ethics is one of the most important issues in medical ethics. The aim of this investigation was to study the levels of professional ethics among medical interns in Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in a clinical setting from the perspective of professors. Materials and methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed in 161 faculty members of the Medical School in 2020. The samples were selected using census sampling. A researcher-made questionnaire consisting of 25 items on internship professional ethics was administered. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and applying t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: Participants included 66.5% males and 93.8% were married. According to the viewpoints of professors, most interns' professional ethics was at a good level (86.71±9.74). The professional ethics of most interns was found to be at a good level (49.06%). Findings showed no significant relationship between professional ethics evaluation score and age, gender, marital status, and working experience of the faculty members (P>0.05). The highest score was given by professors in otorhinolaryngology department (114±5.65) and the lowest score was given by the department of emergency medicine (78.57±4.27) (P<0.05). Conclusion: A good level of professional ethics was seen in most interns. In this study, male and married professors had more favorable opinions about professional ethics of interns.