Abstract

Development of medical students’ professional ethical values can be influenced by the quality of role models and the experiences they encounter during their education. Essays from all enrolled 6-year students in Medical Studies in English Program at School of Medicine, University of Zagreb in the academic year 2014/2015 were anonymised and analysed according to acknowledged quantitative analysis methods. Three major themes occurred when reading students’ essays: physician patient relationship, inter professional relationships among physicians and nurses and teacher student relationship. Students suggested a need for mandatory workshops on communicational skills for physicians and placing the ethics course earlier in the curriculum. The essays of the students show the importance of hidden curriculum in ethics teaching and how role models play an important part in the learning experience when it comes to professional ethical values and norms.