Transcript The Ethics of Being a Medical Student

The Ethics of Being a
Medical Student
Walter S. Davis, MD
Center for Biomedical Ethics
Department of Physical Medicine and
Rehabilitation
What kinds of issues are we
talking about?
Issues related to role and status as a
student
 Patient care and procedures issues
 Evaluation (grading) issues
 Issues related to professional and
personal relationships

Ethical issues related to role and
status as a student
Identification and consent
 Continuity of care, structure of medical
education
 Providing information to patients
 Bedside teaching and “roundsmanship”

Ethical issues related to patient
care and procedures
Dealing with a patient’s refusal to allow
care by a student
 Practicing procedures on fellow
students
 Practicing procedures on dead or
incapacitated patients
 Personal moral convictions and
professional “requirements”

Ethical issues in evaluation and
grading
Fear that a refusal to participate in
some aspect of clinical practice will
result in a poor grade or evaluation
 Meeting “quotas” for procedures and
clinical activities
 The role of personality and “style” in
clinical performance

Ethical issues in professional
and personal relationships
Sexual harassment and exploitation
 Racial, ethnic, religious, gender issues
 Abuse of the supervisory or educational
role
 Confidentiality
 Observation or knowledge of unethical or
illegal behavior by superiors or fellow
students
