Why Teach Medical Ethics?
The fundamental justification for teaching clinical medical ethics (or, for that matter, any other medical school or residency subject) is based on its contribution to the care of patients. Therefore, the principal goal of teaching clinical ethics is to improve the quality of patient care in terms of both the process and outcome of care. If young physicians are equipped with the skills required to reach ethical decisions with their patients, their patients’ dignity will be protected. This means that in educating young physicians, emphasis must be placed not only on the ethics of the actual decision but also on the ethics of the decision-making process. The skills of ethical analysis are part of the competence-set of young physicians and are a necessary complement to the scientific and technical aspects of clinical medicine.
