Ethics courses are required at the vast majority of U.S. medical schools. Doctors in training must consider the importance of the Hippocratic oath taken by all physicians. This basically states that they must do no harm to their patients. Ethics courses at this level will also deal with informed consent, organ transplant issues, and patient confidentiality.
Some doctors opt to specialize in medical ethics by going on to get a master's or a doctorate in the field. These commonly take one to two years after medical school graduation. Topics covered can include law and medicine, government health care policy, and research ethics. Graduate studies such as these can include some independent, original research by the student into a particular ethical dilemma.
Many physicians continue their education on ethics topics throughout their careers. Because the boundaries of medical science are constantly expanding, new ethical challenges are continually occurring. Dr Edward Hill, chair of the World Medical Association, says " The pace at which modern medicine is developing has meant medical ethics is becoming more and more complex." Many ethical conflicts have arisen in recent years over advances in cloning and genetics, as well as end-of-life care. Medical schools and other institutions run short ethics workshops on specific topics for practicing doctors who may be working in these cutting-edge fields.
Doctors are not the only health care workers facing medical ethics issues. Other professionals in the health care setting may also need training to deal with issues arising from patient relationships and treatment. Courses are offered for nurses, social workers, hospital chaplains and administrators, among others.
Introducing a new drug or a new surgical technique requires several clinical trials, where patients are observed as they are given the new treatment. Because the treatment is unproven in humans, there is a risk associated with clinical trials, and most countries have ethics committees that set standards for their conduct. Therefore, companies carrying out clinical trials often make use of the services of medical ethicists to help ensure the guidelines are followed. Physicians can attend training courses dealing specifically with the ethical issues surrounding clinical trials.