Doing Right: A Practical Guide to Ethics for Medical Trainees and Physicians [Paperback]

Philip Hebert (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195411048 | ISBN-13: 978-0195411041 | Publication Date: January 15, 1996 | Edition: 1

Doing Right is a brief and practical introduction to medical ethics for physicians and medical trainees (students, interns, residents). It eschews most jargon and instead concentrates on the concepts, issues and ethical-legal precedents that health care practitioners in Canada need to be familiar with to practice medicine in an acceptable way. The book uses many real-life cases -- some simple, some challenging -- that will help illustrate the application of modern ethics to everyday practice. Professionals in other health disciplines may find this bo useful as the key issues discussed are often faced by them as well.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is a gem - beautifully written, practical and to the point. It provides a thoughtful and thought-provoking review of the common ethical issues in day-to-day practice. I wish I had had such a book thirty-five years ago when I was in medical school - it would have provided some much needed guideposts and helped me to understand the task of medicine much sooner, and with a little less angst." - W. Wayne Weston MD, University of Western Ontario

"The clear definitions, case discussion format, and the logical sequence of presenting areas within medical ethics all combine to make this book easy to read and well-suited for the problem-based learning approach. Students should find this book a helpful guide to understanding medical ethics and its role in health care." - Miriam F. Rossi, MD, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

" The great strength of this book is its accessibility ... The format of Hebert's book, its vocabulary and its very liberal use and discussion of common cases ensure that students will read it, understand it and become interested in it ... a very useful addition to any undergraduate or postgraduate curriculum in biomedical ethics." Canadian Medical Association Journal (vol. 156, no.3, Feb 1997)

"... a valuable guide for all those engaged in medical practice." BC Medical Journal (Dec 1996)

"This book is sure to live up to its sub-title. It is a very sound, well-organized and helpful guide for ethical reflection and decision-making in medicine." - Earl Winkler, PhD, Department of Philosophy, University of British Columbia

"... offers health professionals a useful and thoughtful approach to ethical problems encountered in medical practice. ... The book is interesting, well written and well organized. It makes medical ethics more accessible to students and clinicians without requiring a background in philosophy. It could also serve as the framework for a short medical school course or residency program-based ethics course. I wish such a book had existed when I was a student." Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (vol.3, no.3, Autumn 1996)

" [a] balanced analyses of the ethical dilemmas that underlie well-edited paradigm cases. [Hebert's] use of highlighted, point-style menus will be particularly helpful for medical trainees, as will his current and extensive chapter bibliographies." Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (vol.30, no.2, March 1997)

"Although the title suggests that the book is aimed at medical students and residents, it will also be of great use to all practicing doctors." [translated from French] Bulletin of the Quebec Society of Medicine and Law (March 1997)

" With confidence, I recommend this book to all physicians and physicians-to-be. Dr. Hebert fulfilled his goal of offering a practical guide to ethical decision making in patient care." Canadian Family Physician (June 1997)

About the Author

Dr. Philip Hebert obtained his PhD in philosophy from York University and his MD from the University of Toronto. He is currently Assistant Professor with the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, Bioethics Coordinator of the undergraduate curriculum at the University of Toronto Medical School, and attending physician at the Sunnybrook Health Science Centre. Dr. Hebert also holds cross appointments in the Department of Extended Care (Sunnybrook Health Science Centre) and the Department of Philosophy (University of Toronto).

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1 edition (January 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195411048
• ISBN-13: 978-0195411041
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,635,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Philip Hebert was born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and spent the 1st 10 years of his post-secondary education studying philosophy and obtained a PhD from York University in 1983. Spurred by a desire to do something more 'hands on', he attended medical school at the University of Toronto, graduating in 1984, and then completed a residency in Family Medicine at McMaster University. He is currently a professor in the Dept of Family and Community Medicine at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre at the University of Toronto. Half his time is spent looking after patients -- from whence many of his patient examples derive -- and the other half is spent doing ethics (teaching. consulting, etc). He has taught ethics in a variety of national and international settings. The 2nd edition of his book, "Doing Right: A Practical Guide to Ethics for Medical Trainees and Physicians", has just been published (2009) by Oxford University Press. It is widely used in medical schools across Canada and is recommended reading for the national medical qualifying exams in Canada. Although it has a Canadian focus, the book uses precedents and cases from other jurisdictions such as the USA and the UK. In 2008 Dr Hebert received the 2nd annual William Marsden award from the Canadian Medical Association for the most significant contribution to the teaching of medical ethics in Canada.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great practical guide to ethical reasoning in the medical context., January 5, 2008

By 

D. Vrecko (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Doing Right: A Practical Guide to Ethics for Medical Trainees and Physicians (Paperback)

I bought this book in preparation for interviews with medical schools (and interview styles - MMI) that put a large emphasis on character and professional ethics.

I have not been at all disappointed in the book. It goes into detail about a practical, yet not mechanical, approach to navigating through the grey matters that come with a career in medicine. It also gives many examples of (I believe) real cases of potential ethical quandries and gives a preposed choice and why the author deems that choice as an ethical one, acknowledging the fact that there are other choices that could be made and reasonably defended. The author encourages the reader to make his/her own choices and to go through the active process of ethical reasoning, with no expectation of a single "right" answer.

The writing style is easy to understand and feels more like a conversation than more academic alternatives (philosphy of ethics books for instance).

I definietly recommend this book.