The critical role of ethics training in medical education

Abstract

When one thinks of the issue of medical ethics the Hippocratic Oath comes to mind. In terms of this oath, one would assume that the goal of medical ethics is to improve the quality of patient care by means of the identification and analysis, and hopefully resolution of any ethical complications that arise in the course of medical practice. This is not always the case and sadly, many Physicians' are unhappy with the practice of medicine and its ethical obligations. Such attitudes may have severe public health implications for the South African medical profession. It is thus essential to provide even more effective ethics training which includes moral reasoning during medical school and residency training. At a time when there appears to be less public confidence in doctors and where practitioner morale is at an all-time low, and patients complain of substandard medical treatment, it is important to reconsider the question of medical ethics. This paper seeks to scrutinize the principles of the Hippocratic Oath and questions whether medical practitioners of contemporary medicine adhere to its principles and are taught ethics during their medical courses. This will provide a greater understanding of the role of modern medical ethics education in promoting ethical practice.