Question

Question: State your planned profession. Select from the applied ethics principles or examples one that seems to best apply to your planned profession. Give an example of an ethical problem within your planned profession which you believe could be resolved using these applied principles. Illustrate how the problem would be applied in resolving this dilemma.

Answer 1

My planned profession was to become a doctor and treat people and make them disease free and help them live a healthy life as it is the basic right of each and every person.

Ethics principles that apply to all doctors are: (stating few very important ones but all ethics are important and should be strictly followed)

1. A doctor has a clear social responsibility.

2.Doctor must maintain high standards of professional competence and ensure continuing self education.

3.Patient interest precedes self interest.

4.Patient welfare is of Paramount concern to a doctor,it will include not treating cases which are not in his domain or specialty, treating with his best ability,terminating treatment when cannot help patient and referring to senior.In case of doubt or unconventional treatment second opinion to must be optained..

5.Treatment should be given with patients consent,any patient who is a major can give his own consent and for minors or who have lost mental capacity consent can be obtained from caregivers/gaurdian.

6. Confidentiality of patient records should be meticulously maintained.

7.No gifts or gratifications should be taken from the patient being treated.

Examples of ethical problems faced:

1. Patient coming for consultation to doctor shows he has given implied consent for his checkup ,but if any particular treatment procedure is required it is necessary to take written informed consent, if this is not done and patient accidentally lands up in complication, doctor can only save himself if he has a consent stating patient was throughly explained about the treatment in simple language that he understands and was informed that if anything bad effects happen, doctor will try his best but won't be responsible for any bad occurrence.

This may save the doctor ,from unknown complications that may occur during traetment operation.

2. If any patient offers you with gifts and favours ,one should refrain from accepting it and tell the patient it's against your ethics. So that in future if a patient expects any irrational favours in return of his gift you are safe and can assertively deny those irrational favours.