Medical School Curriculum Relating to Clinical Ethical Decision Making During a Pandemic: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health Ethics
• Pandemic Preparedness

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the necessity for medical students to develop decision-making skills for unique public health crises.
• Existing medical curricula may not adequately prepare students for the ethical challenges encountered during pandemics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive review of global literature on medical curricula addressing clinical ethical issues during pandemics.
• To identify gaps in current medical education regarding pandemic-related ethical concerns.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review methodology was employed, involving three stages: planning, study selection and data extraction, and analysis and write-up.
• Key terms, databases, and search criteria were defined, followed by screening of titles, abstracts, and full texts of relevant studies.

Main Results:

• Ten studies were included in the review, exhibiting diversity in country, study design, and educational setting.
• Identified ethical issues within medical curricula included resource allocation, healthcare worker obligations, personal protective equipment (PPE), disease control, communication, management protocols, and patient care.

Conclusions:

• A significant lack of literature was identified concerning medical student curricula on ethical issues during pandemics.
• There is a clear need for reform in medical education to integrate pandemic preparedness and ethical considerations.
• Failure to address this educational gap may leave future physicians ill-equipped to handle pandemic-related ethical dilemmas, mirroring challenges faced during COVID-19.