Teaching medical ethics and law within medical education: a model for the UK core curriculum.

Abstract

Teaching medical ethics and law within medical education: a model for the UK core curriculum Consensus statement by teachers of medical ethics and law in UK medical schools* The General Medical Council has stated that medical ethics and law should constitute one of the core components of the medical curriculum.' The practice of good medicine inevitably raises both ethical and legal issues and demands an understanding of both. In this document, teachers of medical ethics and law in medical schools throughout the UK now offer their own consensus statement about the issues, concepts, arguments, skills and attitudes that all medical students should understand and know how to apply in practice by the time they qualify. This consensus proposes a minimal core undergraduate pro- gramme of work which we believe to be consistent with the stated objective of the General Medical Council that students should acquire a knowledge and understanding of "ethical and legal issues relevant to the practice of medicine" and an "ability to understand and analyse ethical problems so as to enable patients, their families, society and the doctor to have proper regard to such problems in reaching decisions".' Some organisational princi- ples are also summarised which we believe to be crucial for the successful implementation of our proposed undergraduate programme. * giving students a knowledge and understand- ing of the legal process and the legal obligations of medical practitioners sufficient to enable them to practise medicine effectively and with minimal risk