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The University of Southampton
Medical Education

Medical Ethics and Law (MEL)

Peta Coulson-Smith leads the Medical Ethics and Law teaching and learning for medical students in the Faculty of Medicine and members of the Clinical Ethics, Law and Society (CELS) research group contribute to the teaching programme. 

Ethical and Legal issues permeate every area of medicine and it is essential that doctors are equipped with the knowledge and skills to manage issues in practice. Topics covered during the module include consent, confidentiality, end of life issues, fetal-maternal conflict, working with children and young people and issues specific to psychiatric care. Students are introduced to medical ethical and legal issues from the beginning of their studies and teaching takes place on all four BM programmes. Students undertake a year-long module in Medical Ethics and Law in the fourth year (third year for BM4 students) with an assessment at the end of the academic year. The module is supported by a range of specialist doctors from across the Wessex region to ensure that ethics and law education remains clinically relevant and contemporaneous.

Students are encouraged to undertake a third year project in the field of Medical Ethics and Law and to develop their interest in the subject by involving themselves in national medical ethics meetings, conferences and organisations. If you would like further information, please contact Peta Coulson-Smith.

Clinical Ethics, Law and Society
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