Other countries have introduced specific ethical codes and guidance in recognition that medical students may be involved in unconsented intimate examinations.
‘The unethical behavior of medical students is influenced by their workplace nature and supervisor relationship.’
The clinical environment where the medical student works is crucial to the nature of their involvement in intimate examinations.
An individual’s likelihood of engaging in a behavior is influenced by three factors: their attitudes toward the behavior, their perceptions of the social norms, and their perceived ability to perform the behavior.
Although contemporary medical education and ethics actively promotes patient autonomy and informed consent, students can unfortunately find themselves working in weak ethical climate within the clinical workplace.
Most medical education and psychological research indicate that students are strongly influenced by the cultural norms of their workplace and their supervisory relationships.
The most common problems with medical student involvement in intimate examinations and procedures are not only rogue student behaviour.
They also struggle with the conflict between the reality and expectations of clinical practice as students narrating specific instances of being asked by their supervisors to conduct or remain present during intimate examinations without clear and/or adequately informed patient consent.
Anyone supervising medical students in clinical settings should critically examine their clinical workplace cultures and consider whether they adequately protect both patients and students.
Source: Medindia
