Death versus feelings: a reality within the world of medical students

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to unveil the feelings of medical students while facing the phenomena of death, and also the meaning of these experiences on their lived-world and its implications to their academic training. The investigation was carried out with 10 students who are regularly registered in the Medical School of the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil, attending between the 3rd and the 6th year. The qualitative approach, with phenomenological basis, along with theoretical assumptions of Merleau-Ponty and the information analysis method proposed by Giorgi (1988) and Comiotto (1992), disclosed five phenomenological essences: The meanings of death; Conflict between life and death; Feelings experienced on the interfaces of death; Medical training; Personal transformation as a path to professional transformation. The findings of this study evidence the feelings and their implications to the process of personal and professional development of the students as primordial and undeniable phenomenon. Considering this relevance, a psycho-pedagogical proposal is presented to educate feelings.