Background: Ethical issues and concerns are becoming more and more important in everyday practice of physicians. The aim of this paper is to explore which issues students have encountered in different fields over the duration of their studies. Methods: A hermeneutic method was used to analyse the essays of 19 students in their sixth year of medical studies. The essays were analysed to look for trends and patterns depicting various ethical themes they witnessed during their experiences. Attention was also given to students perspectives regarding each incident Results: Ethical issues and prevalence of these issues were revealed. Ethical dilemmas that students were placed in, in various scenarios were also brought to light. There was comparison mainly between the more authoritarian and paternalistic approach shown by physicians towards patients and colleagues in certain countries. There was good evidence provided towards hierarchal systems in the healthcare setting, which also hi-lighted the pros and cons of hierarchy. There was a compelling viewpoint that pointed to the changing trends in Croatia from a paternalistic approach to a patient a one which respects patient autonomy. Conclusion: This paper provided a useful insight into how students view medical ethics, as a set of values and a course. The results show that many students found that even before the study of the course medical ethics an innate set of morals was helpful and dictated their relationships with patients. There was also the opportunity to carefully examine students over all appreciation for a good set of morals and ethics as well as the importance of this example being set to them from early in their education.