Mock 6: Discuss an ethical dilemmas facing doctors.

[Guest MayFlower1]

What are the major ethical dilemmas facing doctors? Pick one and talk about it.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited the subject heading to standardize them. -Ian

[Guest tirisa]

Wow... there are so many ethical dilemmas that you could talk about, but one that I think physicians face on a day to day basis that I have some issues with is the stronghold that the pharmaceutical companies have on prescribing practices of physicians. With drug reps bringing in free samples of the latest drugs, physicians will try them out and start prescribing them regularly without doing their homework and realizing that the best evidence may still point to an earlier medication that is just as efficatious but less costly than the new one. Along the same lines as free samples are the free trips to conferences at ski and beach resorts where these new drugs are promoted. And then, of course, there are the patent issues on name-brand drugs, which I agree with in terms of much needed money on R&D for future drugs, but not when it precludes people in developing countries from having access to meds.

 

I do understand the important role that drug companies do play, and if you are a physician who practises EBM and is good about doing quick lit searches to make your own decisions about which meds to prescribe, then I'm all for the drug reps "informing me" about new drugs. But the companies seem to have so much power (and they are clearly "for profit" organizations) that they don't always have the patient's best interest, from a cost and efficacy perspective, in mind.

 

Anyway, I would love to hear your comments on this issue, particularly since my opinions are based on things I've read and heard, but are certainly not from experience. For those of you who have more experience, please shed some more light.

 

Thanks,

T

[Guest Biochem10]

I agree with you tirisa, however, I have spoken with a physician (who is sometimes on the adcom) about this particular issue and she suggested that you try and stay clear of this in an interview. I know it seems tempting to talk about, however, your interviewer may be affliated with a particular pharmaceutical company (for research, for instance) and might feel like you are attacking him/her. Anyway, the bottom line is that you don't know who is interviewing you, so you are best off staying with more patient oriented issues, like the refusal of treatment by a patient. This is an excellent topic to discuss with sociologists, though, I wrote a paper about it last semester and it went over fabulously with my prof.

[Guest sally2001]

in the research realm, i'd say it is cloning and stem-cell research. where do you draw the line and how on earth can you regulate what has potential for curing parkinsons, alzheimers, etc and what crosses that boundary by trying to "create" life.