Welcome back to my Medical Ethics Series for the fourth installment! This is the first part of the Normative Ethics section, where we will be going over Normative ethics, or what rules we should follow. These theories will...
In the vital field of medical education, textbooks are more than mere academic resources. They are the bedrock upon which future healthcare providers build their understanding of human health and disease. Yet, there’s a critical and often overlooked...
As I joined the psychiatry team during morning rounds, it was my turn to present on a new admit: a patient with congenital deafness presenting with auditory hallucinations and suicidal ideation. Communicating in American sign language (ASL) through...
One day, before going to my CCE, I called their office to ask if my preceptor was in. It took five minutes of explanation for the person to whom I was speaking to understand I was a medical...
Many pregnant women at their first check-up will receive a pamphlet with an overview of their pregnancy, genetic testing, things to avoid, prenatal vitamin advice, and – on the back cover in glossy marketing – an ad for...
The decision to embark on a medical career is also a decision to be perpetually evaluated based on factors outside and inside your control. I like to think of these factors—like your MCAT score, number and duration of...
The first time I saw the donor I was to dissect for the next several months, truthfully and somewhat embarrassingly, I thought wow she has amazing breasts. My tablemates and I all jumped to pathological conclusions (breast cancer,...
War. War never changes. And neither does humanity’s response to it: anger; disgust; a desire to help; and for some, the lust for thrills. The idea of war tourism is not new. Historians and journalists have been described...
In the 19th century, medicine was primarily concerned with adult health; managing symptoms and trialing various treatments. The health of children was treated in much more of a “c’est la vie” manner: kids would get sick, and hopefully...
“Is there a doctor on board? We have a medical emergency in row 12.” Your heart skips a beat as you look up from your copy of the New England Journal of Medicine. You quickly unbuckle your seatbelt...
An increasing number of patients over recent years have noted appointments at a doctor’s office feel rushed or have been in an emergency department or clinic feeling as though they were just another number on the list to...
I’m writing this article as I finish up Commissioned Officer Training for the U.S. Air Force. This five-week long training course has represented a significant departure from the content I learned during my first year in medical school....
During one of my first days shadowing my Community Clinical Experience (CCE) preceptor, I had the opportunity to observe a pelvic exam. This was not the first pelvic exam I had watched – my preceptor is an OB/GYN,...
Two Saturdays ago, my wife and I were driving home from an event in Scottsdale at 1 pm. I had bent down to pick up my phone and when I sat back up, I saw the brake lights...
CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene editing tool that has been the subject of considerable ethical debate since researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou used it in 2015 for germline editing in non-viable human embryos. Their research specifically involved...
November Response: Last issue, we discussed a difficult decision made by a family in regards to donation of their stillborn child. Let’s review: You are working on an interdisciplinary team between the obstetrician and neonatologist and supporting staff...
September Question: In September, our issue was focused on Suicide Awareness Month. Let’s review: Note from the Editors-in-Chief: September was Suicide Awareness Month. As such, this issue’s question was themed around physician suicide, an issue which already has...
July Question In July, we read about a case in which a young boy disagreed with his parents about treatment. Let’s take another look: Joseph, an exceptionally bright and articulate 13 year old, is found to have a...
Merriam-Webster defines insurance as: 1: The business of insuring persons or property, coverage by contract whereby one party undertakes to indemnify or guarantee another against loss by a specified contingency or peril, the sum for which something is...
November Response Our last ethics question concerned discrimination against a practicing Muslim physician and the role of hospital administrators in enforcing zero-tolerance discrimination policies: You are an administrator at a community hospital. As you are walking to the...
After a stressful week of examinations, you are finally home for the holidays and couldn’t be happier to have a day off from your studies. You are sitting down around the dinner table surrounded by friends and family...
September Question September’s ethical question revolved around a concerned patient and physician disclosure of test results. Take another look: A 67-year-old man presents to his physician complaining of discomfort in his lower abdomen and difficulty with urination. The...
“How are babies made?” That may be a question to give any parent of a five-year-old palpitations on the spot. However, after lectures about the emerging technologies surrounding in vitro fertilization, surrogacy, and reproductive medicine, I realized the...
May Ethical Question In May, we discussed the possibility of acquiring a terminal disease and the end of a physician’s life. Let’s revisit: You sit down in front of your own physician, speechless. Although you’ve given many patients...
September Response You are a pediatrician who is discussing care with a first-time pregnant couple. You were referred the couple by an obstetrician to establish routine care for the newborn after the delivery. While you are planning the...
July Response Last edition, we focused on the story of Mrs. Plant, who was reaching the end of her life and was faced with a tough decision. The story and options are as follows: Mrs. Plant has a...
“How have television shows such as Dr. Oz impacted the physician-patient relationship?” This question was posted outside the door of my first MMI station at my first medical school interview. I wracked my brain for a thoughtful response,...
A 15 year-old female is asked whether she would consent to being a bone marrow donor for her mother who is critically ill and in need of a bone marrow transplant. The two of them have had a...
A terminally ill patient is seen by a colleague in your group practice after hospitalization for pneumonia. The patient has metastatic cancer and COPD, and he is currently on a ventilator. He has been seeing your group for...
With medical development increasing at a logarithmic rate, it seems as if we hear about new life-saving medical treatments every day. However, the lengthy process of FDA approval can take decades to complete, while terminally ill patients who...
As the election year rages on, many people are learning that the United States is a diverse, multicultural nation. In the 2014 census, approximately 20% of the US population identified as African American, Native American, Asian, or Pacific...
The teaching of medical ethics has become an integral aspect of medical education. These courses aim to prepare students for future issues they may face involving informed consent, futility, and conscientious objection as well as aiding us in...
*Archived image unavailable: Batey Aleman It was the second day of clinic at Batey Aleman, and we were waiting for our next patient. A frail woman turned the corner and knelt on her cane for support as she...
(Trigger warning: though accurate, some of the material discussed in this piece describes medical violence that some readers may find upsetting) Archived image unavailable: Medical Apartheid by Harriet Washington Medical Apartheid by Harriet Washington In research, there is...
Defining The Covenant Relationship and Informed Consent In recent years, the physician-patient dynamic has become more of a business transaction rather than a trusting relationship. Several medical ethicists state that “medical care has become more of a contractual,...
