Intimate examinations and other ethical challenges in medical education

doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7380.62

BMJ 2003;326:62-63 ( 11 January )

Editorials

Intimate examinations and other ethical challenges in medical education

Medical schools should develop effective guidelines and implement them

Education and debate p 97

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In this issue, Coldicott et al report an exploratory survey that shows, among other findings, that up to a quarter of intimateexaminations in anaesthetised or sedated patients seem not tohave had adequate consent from patients (p 97).¹ This paperwill generate a firestorm of controversy, wide media interest,and perhaps even calls for a public inquiry. Through the controversy,let us keep one point uppermost in mind: identifying the problemis only half the battle $---$ the other half is coming up with an effectivesolution.

The fact that this report has been published at all represents a triumph of academic freedom. In particular, Coldicott, amedical student, deserves high praise for seeing this controversialstudy through to publication. The medical school examined in thestudy is probably not the only medical school in the world withsimilar practices, and the authors and their institution havedone patients . . . [Full text of this article]

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