Enhancing ethical behavior: views of students, administrators, and faculty

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Bioethics
• Dental Education

Background:

• Critiques traditional didactic ethics curricula in dental schools, citing limitations in fostering genuine ethical behavior.
• Proposes an alternative model: ethics as a pre-curriculum course and elective, small-group, introspective learning within dental school.
• Highlights the debate on "enlightened" self-interest as a motivator for ethical conduct.

Discussion:

• Presents six essays from dental students, administrators, and faculty offering diverse perspectives on professional ethics instruction.
• Examines the gap between teaching ethics and actual behavioral change, addressing pressures like academic dishonesty.
• Analyzes the role of self-interest in ethical decision-making within the dental profession.

Key Insights:

• Student perspectives reveal a disconnect between ethics education and behavioral outcomes, with pressures to cheat noted.
• While some of Bertolami's proposals may hold merit, they may not fully achieve the goal of instilling ethical values.
• The effectiveness of "enlightened" self-interest as a primary motivator for ethical behavior in dental students is questioned.

Outlook:

• Encourages further dialogue on optimizing ethics curricula and instructional methods in dental schools.
• Suggests exploring strategies for dental students to internalize professional values beyond didactic instruction.
• Calls for continued research into effective methods for enhancing ethical behavior and decision-making in future dentists.