Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 August 2010
Formal teaching of ethics in health science programs at the entry level andpostprofessional level in the United States and Canada has been documented inthe professional literature for more than 30 years, yet there are significantdifferences in the way it is taught and how much time is devoted to the subject.Numerous teaching and evaluation methods have been used in ethics education,such as lectures, written examinations, debates, role-playing, small groupdiscussion, and case study analysis. Most instruction in ethics in the healthsciences has been geared toward ethical analysis of case studies, that is, thestudent is asked to read a case or discuss a case with others, identify theethical issues verbally or in writing, propose different resolutions supportedby principles and theory, and select the best course of action. Yet, analysis ofa case is an unlikely route to develop skills in coping with the uncertainty andemotional nature of ethical issues commonly encountered in clinical practice,nor does it give us an indication of what students would “reallydo” when they encounter an actual ethical problem.
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