Foundations of Medical Ethics

This unit introduces core ethical theories, professional responsibilities, and practical communication skills that underpin ethical clinical practice. Students will build foundational knowledge of the provider–patient relationship, practice-level ethical duties, and appropriate processes for disclosing medical errors to prepare for more advanced ethical decision-making and policy analysis in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze core ethical principles (autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice) and apply them to at least three clinical vignettes to justify recommended actions
• Apply moral reasoning frameworks to differentiate personal moral beliefs from professional obligations in case studies and role-play assessments
• Demonstrate effective provider–patient communication techniques—including obtaining informed consent and protecting patient confidentiality—during simulated encounters evaluated with a rubric
• Evaluate practice-level policies and error-disclosure procedures and design a step-by-step plan for reporting and apologizing for a medical error in a simulated healthcare setting