The organ donation knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of first and SİXTH-YEAR medical students

Organ donation; is a person permitting with his/her free will, while they are alive, his/her tissues and organs to be used to treat other patients. This study assesses medical students' organ donation knowledge, attitudes and behaviors, experiences, and intentions to donate organs and the variables that influence them. During the fieldwork, Fırat University Faculty of Medicine had 282 students in their first and sixth years of study. No sampling was done. Having attended high school in different countries, 18 foreign students were excluded from the study, leaving 264 students. The study reached 258 students at a rate of 97.7%. The 68-question survey form was administered in classrooms. Of the respondents 59.7% (154 people) were freshmen, and 50.8% (131 people) were female. The families of 68.9% (178 people) lived in cities, and those of 75.9% (196 people) lived in East or Southeast Anatolia. First-year students of the medical faculty are less decisive about donating their organs, while the sixth-year students are more willing. The mean knowledge score of the sixth year students was significantly higher than that of the first-year students. There was a positive linear correlation between the organ donation decision and the mean knowledge scores. Sixth-year students exhibited more positive attitudes to organ donation than first-year students. Sixth-year students had significantly less fear and worries about organ donation, and did not see any religious obstacle to organ donation. Organ donation was viewed more positively by female students. Students who have a positive attitude towards organ donation were more enthusiastic about donating their organs. As the positive attitude towards organ donation increased, the willingness to do organ donation increased.