This study presents a comparative investigation conducted among medical students from the University of Verona (Italy) and the University of Halle (Germany), aimed at exploring representations and attitudes toward Bioethics at the end-of-life and related medical practices. Religious affiliation constitutes the main interpretative variable, serving as the lens through which differences and similarities between the two groups are analyzed.
The anonymous, structured questionnaire includes twenty-three closed-ended questions organized into the following thematic areas: personal experiences of accompanying dying persons; knowledge and perceptions of Advance Directives; ethical and legal positions regarding the Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Treatments and Palliative Care; opinions on Medically Assisted Death; and self-assessment of the ethical preparation provided by university education.
The study aims to investigate how religious affiliation, together with the respective cultural and legal contexts, influences moral judgment and the willingness to respond to patients' requests at the end of life. Furthermore, it seeks to provide insights useful for developing ethically and professionally grounded educational pathways that are more sensitive to the religious and cultural dimensions affecting medical practice within the care relationship.