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The Ethics Of Caring And Medical Education, William T. Branch Jr. Md, Macp
The Ethics Of Caring And Medical Education, William T. Branch Jr. Md, Macp
William T.Branch Jr.MD
The ethics of caring, though the subject of much recent discussion by philosophers, has hardly been applied to medical ethics and medical education. Based on receptivity (that is, empathy and compassion) toward and taking responsibility for other persons, the ethics of caring has particular relevance to medicine. Caring guides the physician always to remain the patient's advocate and to maintain the therapeutic relationship when dealing with and resolving ethical dilemmas. This article discusses the philosophy behind the ethics of caring and then explores three issues that arise within its context: receptivity, taking responsibility, and creating an educational environment that fosters …
Supporting The Moral Development Of Medical Students, William T. Branch Jr. Md, Macp
Supporting The Moral Development Of Medical Students, William T. Branch Jr. Md, Macp
William T.Branch Jr.MD
Philosophers who studied moral development have found that individuals normally progress rapidly in early adulthood from a conventional stage in which they base behavior on the norms and values of those around them to a more principled stage where they identify and attempt to live by personal moral values. Available data suggest that many medical students, who should be in this transition, show little change in their moral development. Possibly, this relates to perceived pressures to conform to the informal culture of the medical wards. Many students experience considerable internal dissidence as they struggle to accommodate personal values related to …