Medical Malpractice

Importance of medical law and ethics?

Why it is important for future health care professionals to study medical law and ethics?

Public Comments

1. Ethics is critical for a number of reasons, including that with advances in medical care, new spins on ethical dilemmas arise. For example, before embryos were used for stem cell research, the question of whether destroying a potential life (the embryo) for the greater good hadn't come up in that context. Or what to do when your patients (a married couple) created embryos for implantation, only to divorce while those embryos were still viable. If the couple disagrees on what to do with the embryos, what does the medical professional do? Medical law is essential, just like understanding the law in any field is important: you need to know what law governs your area of practice.
2. Every profession has its own unique laws for practice and filing reports. Medical law informs the future professionals about the general guidelines for the protection of themselves in their practice and the people they practice on. Ethics provide the philosophical framework to guide behaviors and decisions especially when they are not already covered in law or common practice. The two work together to protect everyone involved and make for a more satisfying career and practice.
3. One word - OctoMom