MEDICAL-STUDENT EDUCATION AND ORGAN DONATION - A MEDICAL-SCHOOL SURVEY

A survey was undertaken of all 127 Medical Schools in the United States to establish whether the subjects of transplantation and organ and tissue donation were included in the curriculum. Seventy-seven (60.6%) medical schools responded, of whom 32 (41.6%) offered a class/lecture in organ transplantation. Sixty-nine (89.6%) schools had organ transplant programs within the department of surgery, while 61 (79%) offered a rotation on the transplant service. An organ procurement agency (OPA) was associated with 70 (91%) schools but was involved in student education in only 36 (46.8%) instances. Numerous diverse suggestions were made by the responding schools for ways to increase or maximize organ donation, while most (62, 80.5%) felt that a lack of professional education is partially to blame for the organ donor shortage. In conclusion, it is evident that medical student exposure to the concepts of organ and tissue donation as well as transplantation is extremely variable. Since physicians are "critical links" within the organ donation process, medical schools, perhaps with the involvement of a local OPA, need to substantially increase their educational efforts in this regard to help alleviate the critical organ donor shortage.