[Expression of the concept of death by residents of a tertiary hospital].

Introduction: Attitudes of health professionals are based on their conditions and personal life experiences about life and death and are part of their professional behavior. Medical training relies mainly on physical-biological sciences and, to a lesser extent, on social-medical aspects, thus forming the physician's concept about death. These concepts may present themselves as a result of culture and as factors that model or limit the cognitive development of the physicians.

Objective: To determine the concept of death of medical residents in a high-specialty hospital.

Methods: A cross-sectional, prospective survey of physicians in training from the first to the sixth year from different specialties. Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out.

Results: We made 174 surveys; 61% were in the first year of the specialty; 149 practiced some religion. Women were 3.5 times more likely to have a concept of death that was not that of a biologist, unlike men. Women were 25% more likely to have had an influence of religion on their concept of death.

Conclusions: The personality of the physician is versatile. It has a relationship with professional and human experiences. As training progresses, medical influence transforms biological or religious views. The concept of death and its influence on the idea appeared to be different between male and female physicians.