Solving ethical dilemmas in international healthcare professional education: A case study using a revised ethical model in East Africa

• Main Authors: Kate Thomas (Author), James Smith (Author), J Dwight Phillips (Author), Shari Falkenheimer (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Health for All Nations, 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 2167-2415; 10.15566/cjgh.v5i3.233
• Keywords: Ethics; medical education; intercultural dilemmas; East Africa; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Practical religion. The Christian life; BV4485-5099
• Source: Christian Journal for Global Health, Vol 5, Iss 3, Pp 29-34 (2018)

Ethical issues frequently arise during the practice of clinical medicine and when providing medical education. These issues become particularly challenging when practicing and teaching medicine cross-culturally. In this case study in a family medicine residency program in East Africa, a structured approach to managing ethical challenges effectively was found to assist in overcoming a conflict about potentially removing a seemingly incompetent medical trainee from a residency program. The step-wise approach includes identifying relevant stakeholders; agreeing on actual background facts; understanding the various goals and values involved in the situation; reviewing locally applicable ethical, professional and legal standards; acknowledging limitations in various options to resolve the issues; and analyzing risks and benefits of the various courses of action.