Majority of Irish medical students in favour of physician-assisted dying

A majority of Irish medical students are in favour of allowing doctors to help patients to die, a new survey has revealed.

While almost 60 per cent of the students were in favour of physician-assisted dying, fewer than one in five said they would be comfortable actually administering life-ending treatment to a patient themselves.

The survey was conducted by academics from the School of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin and Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing at St. James’s Hospital. It was published in the latest edition of the Irish Medical Journal.

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It’s the first time that the attitudes of medical students in relation to physician-assisted dying have been surveyed in an Irish setting, according to the authors of the study.

It found that 119 out of 200 respondents (59.5 per cent) were in favour of doctors helping patients to die, while just 28 (14 per cent) were opposed and 26.5 per cent were unsure of their attitude.

More male students were opposed to physician-assisted dying than female students, according to the study. Nearly 26 per cent of male respondents were opposed, while just 6.45 per cent of females were of a similar mindset.

Asked about the factors that influenced their attitude to physician-assisted dying, 78.5 per cent of medical students cited moral or ethical concerns, while 50.5 per cent mentioned their own personal experiences.

Medical experiences were cited by 29.5 per cent of respondents, while 21.5 per cent mentioned fear of legal action, and 19.5 per cent said they had been influenced by religious considerations.

A large majority of medical students – 86.5 per cent – said they would like more teaching on the subject.

The research paper noted that physician-assisted dying has become increasingly accepted internationally but remains illegal in Ireland, where it is punishable by up to 14 years in prison under the Criminal Law (Suicide) Act 1993.

“In a medical context, proponents of [physician-assisted dying] argue that patient autonomy includes the right to decide to end their life and that alleviating suffering in terminally ill patients aligns with the principle of beneficence,” the authors wrote.

“Opponents counter that it is morally wrong to take life regardless of the situation and express concerns that legalising PAD could lead to abuse of the practice and the normalisation of controversial uses of euthanasia.”

They also noted that the Medical Council’s guide to medical professional conduct had been updated in January 2024, removing the article that had stated: “You must not take part in the deliberate killing of a patient”.

The paper said a previous survey had found that 56.3 per cent of consultant doctors were opposed to PAD, but this study was the first that had examined the attitudes of medical students in Ireland.

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