AUSTRALIANMEDICALSTUDENTS’’ASSOCIATION:CODEOFETHICS


Preamble

Medicalstudentshaveaprivilegedplaceinthemedicalsetting,wheretheirchiefaimistolearnfrompatients
andhealthprofessionals.Sincethisraisesuniqueethicalconsiderations,AMSA,astherepresentativebodyof
medicalstudentsinAustralia,sawaneedtodevelopaspecificCodeofEthics.Theprocessbeganwiththe
HealthPromotionandEthicsCommitteein2000/2001,andhasinvolvedwideconsultationamongmedical
studentsandexternally.

Ethicalconductisintegraltoeffectiveprofessionalpractice,andthusisanessentialcomponentofamedical
education.ThisCodeisnotprescriptive,butreflectsethicalstandardstowhichmedicalstudentsshouldaspire
intheirtraining.Itisintendedtoencouragestudentstothinkandactethically,thattheymightretainthis
outlookasmedicalprofessionals.TheCodeidentifieseight‘‘Principles’’,eachelaborateduponandclarifiedina
seriesof‘‘AnnotationstothePrinciples’’.

TheCodeisderivedfromsuchprinciplesasbeneficence,nonͲmaleficence,justiceandrespectforautonomy.
Althoughsimilartootherethicalcodesinmedicine,itseekstoreflectvaluesthatunderpincontemporary
medicaleducation.TheCodecomplementsobligationsandresponsibilitieslaiddownformedicalstudentsby
universitiesandtherelevantclinicalinstitutions.

ThisdocumentwasformallyratifiedbytheAMSACouncilinSeptember2003.

Principles

1. Medicalstudentsshouldrespecttheneeds,valuesandcultureofpatientstheyencounterduringtheir
training.
2. Medicalstudentsshouldneverexploitpatientsortheirfamilies.
3. Medicalstudentsshouldholdclinicalinformationinconfidence.
4. Medicalstudentsshouldobtaininformedconsentfrompatientsbeforeinvolvingtheminanyaspect
oftraining.
5. Medicalstudentsshouldappreciatethelimitsoftheirroleintheclinicalsettingandinthe
community.
6. Medicalstudentsshouldrespectthestaffwhoteachandassistthemintheirclinicaltraining.
7. Medicalstudentsinvolvedinclinicalresearchshouldadheretotheethicalprinciplesinthe
appropriatenationalandinternationalguidelines.
8. Medicalstudentsshouldmaintaintheirpersonalintegrityandwellbeing.

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AnnotationstothePrinciples

Principle1

Medicalstudentsshouldrespecttheneeds,valuesandcultureofpatientstheyencounterduringtheirtraining.

1.1 Inallcircumstances,medicalstudentsshouldrespecttheethnicity,cultureandreligionof
patients.
1.2 Medicalstudentsshouldnotdiscriminateagainstpatientsonthebasisofage,gender,race,
sexualorientation,religion,creed,politicalaffiliationandeconomic,socialorhealthstatus.
1.3 Medicalstudentsshouldnotimposetheirownvaluesandbeliefsuponpatients.
1.4 Medicalstudentsshouldrespecttheautonomyofpatients.
1.5 Whenappropriate,medicalstudentsshouldoffersupporttopatientsbylistening,reassuring
orprovidinginformation.

Principle2

Medicalstudentsshouldneverexploitpatientsortheirfamilies.

2.1 Medicalstudentsshouldneverexploitpatientsfortheirownpersonalorfinancialbenefit.
2.2 Medicalstudentsshouldnotabusethegenerosityofpatientsintheirpursuitoflearning.
Medicalstudentsshouldhaveconcernforthewellbeingofpatientsaboveallelse.
2.3 Medicalstudentsshouldnothavesexualrelationswithorsexuallyharasspatients.
2.4 Giventheleveloftheirskills,experienceandknowledge,medicalstudentsshouldnot
representthemselves,orallowthemselvestoberepresented,topatientsorstaffasamore
competentorqualifiedmemberofthe‘‘healthcareteam’’.

Principle3

Medicalstudentsshouldholdclinicalinformationinconfidence.

3.1 Giventheleveloftheirskills,experienceandknowledge,medicalstudentsshouldnot
representthemselves,orallowthemselvestoberepresented,topatientsorstaffasamore
competentorqualifiedmemberofthe‘‘healthcareteam’’.
3.2 Recognisingthatinformationheldaboutpatientsishighlysensitive,medicalstudentsshould
holdallsuchinformationinconfidence.
3.3 Medicalstudentsshouldrespectpatient’’srighttodeterminewhoshouldbeprovidedwith
theirpersonalinformation.
3.4 Informationreceivedaboutpatientsfromothersourcesshouldalsobeheldinconfidence.
3.5 Informationreceivedfrompatientsaboutotherpeopleshouldalsobeheldinconfidence.
3.6 Thisprinciplepersistsafterapatienthasendedtreatmentordied.
3.7 Medicalstudentsmaydiscusspatientinformationwithpeersandprofessionalstaff,but
patientsshouldbeinformedoftheselimitsofconfidentiality.
3.8 Copiesofmedicalrecordsandstudentnotescontainingpatientinformationshouldbekept
inasecureplaceanddestroyedwhentheyarenolongerrequired.
3.9 Confidentialitymaybebreached,rarely,ifthewelfareofthepatientorotherpeopleis
threatened.

Principle4

Medicalstudentsshouldobtaininformedconsentfrompatientsbeforeinvolvingtheminanyaspectoftraining.

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 3.1 Medicalstudentsshouldclearlyinformpatientsofthepurposeandnatureofanyproposed
interactionwiththem.
3.2 Medicalstudentsshouldclearlyinformpatientsofthepurposeandnatureofanyproposed
interactionwiththem.
3.3 Consentshouldbegivenfreelyandwithoutcoerciononthepartofmedicalstudentsor
professionalstaff.
3.4 Medicalstudentsshouldinformpatientsthattheymaywithdrawconsenttomedicalstudent
contactatanystage,withoutanycompromisetotheirhealthcare.
3.5 Intutorialsettings,consentshouldbeobtainedfrompatientsbeforemedicalstudents
approachthemasagroup.
3.6 Wheremedicalstudentsaretoperformaprocedureorexaminationonananaesthetisedor
sedatedpatient,informedconsentshouldbeobtainedbeforehand.
3.7 Wherelanguage,illnessorotherfactorsinterferewithcommunication,medicalstudents
shouldmakeaspecialefforttoensurethatthepatientdoesreachthenecessarylevelof
understanding.

Principle5

Medicalstudentsshouldappreciatethelimitsoftheirroleintheclinicalsettingandinthecommunity.

3.1 Medicalstudentsshouldnotgiveadviceorprovideinformation,specifictopatientsorthe
generalpublic,thatisbeyondtheirlevelofknowledgeandexpertise.Whenaskedforsuch
comment,medicalstudentsshouldreferthepersontotheprofessionalstaffresponsiblefor
treatment.
3.2 Medicalstudentsshouldnotprovideinformationrelatingtoapatient’’sillnessorprognosis
thathasnotpreviouslybeenexplainedbymedicalprofessionalsresponsibleforthepatient’’s
care.
3.3 Exceptinanemergency,medicalstudentsshouldnotinitiateanyformoftreatment.They
shouldinsteadrecommendthatpeopleseekappropriateprofessionalhelp.

Principle6

Medicalstudentsshouldrespectthestaffwhoteachandassistthemintheirclinicaltraining.

3.1 Medicalstudentsshouldrespectdoctors,nurses,alliedhealthprofessionalsandother
membersofthehealthcareteam.
3.2 Medicalstudentsshouldrespectteachersfortheireffortandcommitmenttomedical
education.
3.3 Wheremedicalstudentsexperiencedifficultywithstaff,theyshoulddiscussthiswiththeir
academicmentororsupervisor.

Principle7

Medicalstudentsinvolvedinclinicalresearchshouldadheretotheethicalprinciplesfoundininternationaland
nationalguidelines,andrespectthewellbeingofpatientsaboveallelse.

Principle8

Medicalstudentsshouldmaintaintheirpersonalintegrityandwellbeing.

3.1 Medicalstudentsshouldensurethattheirphysicalandmentalhealthenablesthemtorelate
effectivelywithpatientsandprofessionalstaff.Intheeventofillnessorimpairmentthat

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 interfereswiththisrole,theyshouldobtainappropriatehelpandwithdrawfrompatient
contact.
3.2 Medicalstudentsareentitledtorefusetoparticipateinanyprocedurethatwouldviolate
theirmoralconscience.
3.3 Medicalstudentsshouldstrivetoimprovethequalityoftheirtrainingbyactively
participating,alongsidetheirteachers,intheplanningandimplementingofeducational
programmes.

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