Ethics in medicine

Is modern medicine, preoccupied with disease and treatment, undermining ethical concerns? Are our priorities misplaced? Are we leaning towards fame and fortune, rather than basic human disposition?

I set off for the ethical guided tour with the American Medical Association's virtual mentor (www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/3040.html). The site familiarises young doctors with the law, humanities, and bioethics. Each month, the site deals with a “hot area” in medical ethics from all possible perspectives. For instance, the August 2003 issue was dedicated to problems in paediatrics. Cases are presented-one described how a specialist treated …