Exploring medical ethics: moral reasoning among new pediatric resident physicians in a tertiary hospital

Physicians are frequently faced with ethical dilemmas that require answers based in moral reasoning, which develops and evolves during their lives and their medical education. According to Kohlberg, there are three levels of moral reasoning development: pre-conventional (in which decisions are guided by oneself convenience), conventional (focused on obeying society's rules), and post-conventional (decisions are based in universal ethical principles). The aim of this study was to describe the level of moral reasoning among new pediatric resident physicians in a tertiary hospital.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from 2020 to 2023. The Defining Issues Test was used to assess the level of moral reasoning among 195 new pediatric resident physicians in a tertiary hospital.

Most resident physicians considered the fourth stage affirmations to be the most important. The median P-index (PI) was 40, and 49% of participants were on the post-conventional level of moral reasoning. The year with the lowest number of new resident physicians on the post-conventional level was 2021.

The moral reasoning level among pediatric resident physicians was higher than the average found in general population. This suggests that the education received during the medical formation may influence the individuals' moral development.