ArticlePloS one2026
Religious ceremonies and the ethical development of medical sciences students: A qualitative study on participation barriers and perceived value.
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Religious ceremonies can play a pivotal role in shaping ethical values among medical sciences students. However, participation in such ceremonies is often influenced by multiple academic, social, and cultural factors. This study aimed to explore the perceived value of religious ceremonies and the barriers affecting student participation in these practices within the context of their ethical development. This qualitative study was conducted at Sirjan School of Medical Sciences in southern Iran from March to July 2025, using a latent content analysis approach grounded in the interpretivist paradigm. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 33 students from diverse academic programs and backgrounds. Data were analyzed inductively based on Graneheim and Lundman's framework using MAXQDA 2022 software. Trustworthiness was ensured through Lincoln and Guba's criteria including credibility, confirmability, dependability, and transferability. Seven main themes and twenty- four subthemes emerged. The themes included: (1) Time and Academic Pressure (e.g., course overload, exam clashes); (2) Perceived Irrelevance (e.g., disconnection from professional goals); (3) Cultural and Personal Beliefs (e.g., secular upbringing, concerns about religious imposition); (4) Social Dynamics (e.g., fear of judgment, peer influence); (5) Institutional Support (e.g., lack of promotion, insufficient facilities); (6) Perceived Ethical Value (e.g., development of professionalism and compassion); and (7) Emotional and Community Benefits (e.g., stress relief, sense of belonging, spiritual recharge). While religious ceremonies hold perceived ethical and emotional value for many students, numerous academic, institutional, and cultural barriers limit participation. Integrating religious practices into educational contexts in a more inclusive, flexible, and voluntary manner could enhance students' moral development without alienating diverse beliefs.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.