AUSTRALIANMEDICALSTUDENTSASSOCIATION:CODEOFETHICS


Preamble
Medicalstudentshaveaprivilegedplaceinthemedicalsetting,wheretheirchiefaimistolearnfrompatients
andhealthprofessionals.Sincethisraisesuniqueethicalconsiderations,AMSA,astherepresentativebodyof
medicalstudentsinAustralia,sawaneedtodevelopaspecificCodeofEthics.Theprocessbeganwiththe
HealthPromotionandEthicsCommitteein2000/2001,andhasinvolvedwideconsultationamongmedical
studentsandexternally.
Ethicalconductisintegraltoeffectiveprofessionalpractice,andthusisanessentialcomponentofamedical
education.ThisCodeisnotprescriptive,butreflectsethicalstandardstowhichmedicalstudentsshouldaspire
intheirtraining.Itisintendedtoencouragestudentstothinkandactethically,thattheymightretainthis
outlookasmedicalprofessionals.TheCodeidentifieseightPrinciples,eachelaborateduponandclarifiedina
seriesofAnnotationstothePrinciples.
TheCodeisderivedfromsuchprinciplesasbeneficence,nonmaleficence,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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CodeofEthics|AustralianMedicalStudentsSociety

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
competentorqualifiedmemberofthehealthcareteam.
Principle3
Medicalstudentsshouldholdclinicalinformationinconfidence.
3.1 Giventheleveloftheirskills,experienceandknowledge,medicalstudentsshouldnot
representthemselves,orallowthemselvestoberepresented,topatientsorstaffasamore
competentorqualifiedmemberofthehealthcareteam.
3.2 Recognisingthatinformationheldaboutpatientsishighlysensitive,medicalstudentsshould
holdallsuchinformationinconfidence.
3.3 Medicalstudentsshouldrespectpatientsrighttodeterminewhoshouldbeprovidedwith
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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CodeofEthics|AustralianMedicalStudentsSociety

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 Medicalstudentsshouldnotprovideinformationrelatingtoapatientsillnessorprognosis
thathasnotpreviouslybeenexplainedbymedicalprofessionalsresponsibleforthepatients
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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CodeofEthics|AustralianMedicalStudentsSociety

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

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CodeofEthics|AustralianMedicalStudentsSociety