can you teach someone ethics ?

[anewbeginning]

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is it a waste of time to teach it in med school, or is it valid to have ethics classes ?

 

[EnergyDrink]

They're teaching you ethics for physicians. There are a lot of circumstances physicians face that you haven't had before. They're teaching you what to do and how to handle those circumstances.

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics.page

 

[Mazdave]

You can teach someone how to examine an ethical dilemma and what to do if they're faced with one. Ethics is not about teaching you a right answer, but how to arrive at an answer and how to justify it. As a physician there are many ethical situations you might face where you don't really have a lot of flexibility in how to act and you also need to learn what these cases are and actions you are obligated to take.

 

[Ironmandoc]

Medical ethics and bioethics are critically important and need to be an integral part of any medical education.

 

[dr zaius]

You can teach someone how to examine an ethical dilemma and what to do if they're faced with one. Ethics is not about teaching you a right answer, but how to arrive at an answer and how to justify it. As a physician there are many ethical situations you might face where you don't really have a lot of flexibility in how to act and you also need to learn what these cases are and actions you are obligated to take.

Basically this. It's all about who you can give info to, advanced directives, patient autonomy, etc. It's more or less about learning the rules. They aren't teaching you to be an "ethical" person.

 

[ccrone]

Basically this. It's all about who you can give info to, advanced directives, patient autonomy, etc. It's more or less about learning the rules. They aren't teaching you to be an "ethical" person.

Yep. I find that either you've got ethics, or the ethics have you.

 

[anewbeginning]

yep. I find that either you've got ethics, or the ethics have you.

loooooool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Praefectus]

You can teach someone how to examine an ethical dilemma and what to do if they're faced with one. Ethics is not about teaching you a right answer, but how to arrive at an answer and how to justify it. As a physician there are many ethical situations you might face where you don't really have a lot of flexibility in how to act and you also need to learn what these cases are and actions you are obligated to take.

👍

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Note the difference between "ethics" and "morals". It is certainly possible to teach someone "ethics", which is often contextual and involves a specific set of circumstances. I do not believe it is possible to teach someone "morals" if they have none to begin with. You can teach someone how to handle a situation that is ethically ambiguous; for example, end-of-life care. You probably cannot teach someone that murder is wrong when they don't already understand why.

 

[911 Turbo]

It's a waste of time because people don't change

 

[NatrixCaelicola]

Note the difference between "ethics" and "morals". It is certainly possible to teach someone "ethics", which is often contextual and involves a specific set of circumstances. I do not believe it is possible to teach someone "morals" if they have none to begin with. You can teach someone how to handle a situation that is ethically ambiguous; for example, end-of-life care. You probably cannot teach someone that murder is wrong when they don't already understand why.

Everyone has a set of morals, they just might not be the same as yours. Murder is wrong in our 21st century american society amongst individuals, but ok in war or when the police or government do it (think corporal punishment). Te point is that maybe you can't have someone buy into your ethics/moral system but you can teach them the rules about how they have to act and the consequences of they don't. I am willing to bet that most medical personnel think that it's ethical/moral to allow gay partners to visit in the hospital but they have to go by medical this which says the opposite. It's all about learning the rules.

 

[anewbeginning]

seems like it is all political...

 

[NatrixCaelicola]

seems like it is all political...

Welcome to ethical and moral systems. They have to be based in something since there is no absolute.

 

[LupaCupcake]

Nah, physicians don't need ethics. (sarcasm)

During difficult situations classes on ethics can really help a person decide what is the ethically acceptable thing to do and that decision is not always cut and dry. It provides a framework that aids the person during difficult decisions.

 

[Bro Dude]

Yep. I find that either you've got ethics, or the ethics have you.

In Soviet Russia, Ethics have you! 😀

 

[majahops]

Oh my. What a fantastic question. I've asked myself this many times during the first three years of medical school.

Here's the conclusion I've come to... I think you can teach someone to do what you believe is ethical in specific situations, but you can't teach someone to "live ethically" (if that makes sense).

But the more important question, in my opinion, is are medical schools' [very time-consuming] efforts to try to teach individuals to "be ethical" fruitful enough to warrant the time that doing so takes away from clinical skills practice, volunteering, learning medical science and other such things? My answer would be a resounding NO!

is it a waste of time to teach it in med school, or is it valid to have ethics classes ?

 

[anewbeginning]

so much time is wasted in medical school with unnecessary things !!

 

[ssee77]

I am the head TA for a medical ethics class. this is exactly correct. classes teach you how to think, what factors to consider (like respecting autonomy etc) but they don't tell you the right or wrong answer. All my exams are essay based because there isn't a right answer, we grade on how well they support their argument and if they considered all the factors involved in the case.

 

[tantacles]

I am the head TA for a medical ethics class. this is exactly correct. classes teach you how to think, what factors to consider (like respecting autonomy etc) but they don't tell you the right or wrong answer. All my exams are essay based because there isn't a right answer, we grade on how well they support their argument and if they considered all the factors involved in the case.

Definitely varies by school. We had just one multiple choice final and were required to do postings that were globally (by med students) considered to be absolutely useless.