ORGAN DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION: WHAT DO THE UPCOMING MEDICAL DOCTORS THINK ABOUT?

A majority of Europeans are willing to donate their organs after death; however there are differences among countries in the European Union. In Romania willingness to donate is low in the general population (31% in 2009), therefore educational strategies are necessary. Health care professionals should be primary information providers for the public. For this reason, we investigated the attitude of medical students towards organ donation and transplantation. From a total of 247 interviewed students, 81.8% were positive about donating own organs, while 65.5% were in favor of donating an organ of a close person, with a significant difference between preclinical years of study and final year (60% vs. 72%). Female students are more inclined to discuss about the topic of transplantation and organ donation, while married students manifest higher hesitation when deciding to donate a close person's organ. Communication and emotional approach are keys of educational strategies in changing people's behavior with regard to donation after death.