Week 13: Medical Ethics
When thinking about the Torpedo treatment, I am instantly against it. Based on the way I
have viewed medical ethics my entire life, growing up in the United States, this is honestly just
not “ethically right.” However, this is my viewpoint based on the society that I live in. The
difference between Russia’s society and the society that I have grown up in, there is a substantial
difference.
The question of deciding whether or not there is a right way to medical ethics is a very
hard one. Everyone has their own views which are shaped by the external and internal factors
they grew up with. If you were to ask this question among the United States population, there
would be a variety of answers based on the person. So, the thought of asking this question in the
United States and different countries around the world is very complex. Personally, I do not
know much about Russia’s society today. I know Russia from my history classes in high school
and some of the things I see on the news, but I know little about their society. I believe that due
to this, I cannot judge their view on different things, including medical ethics. In the United
States, we have made our AMA code of ethics based on how people we view as valuable have
been affected in history. This is going to differ from country to country. Russia has a different
history, so they are bound to have a different view from the United States on this topic. While not
knowing much about Russia’s society, I do not know how their society would affect their views
on different topics or even what people in Russia have to say about their code of ethics. Even
though I believe that they are entitled to their own views on this topic, I do not agree with their
code of ethics and Torpedo treatment. Overall, I do not think it is okay for a physician to lie to
their patients as the patient is trusting them with their health, which ultimately keeps them alive.
Though the treatment has been shown to positively impact some people, I believe there are better
ways that alcoholism can be gone about. Alcoholism is an addiction, which is a mental illness
and it should be treated as one. I believe that in order to have the best medical treatment that is
ethical, the physician should be transparent with what is happening and what could happen in the
future.
I do not believe there is only one way to do things in terms of medical ethics. However, I
do believe that there is a right way. My views on the right way to do things in medical ethics
have been shaped by nineteen years of learning based on the world that surrounds me. This is
different for everybody, so I believe that there is not one way of medical ethics as everyone may
have a different view on the right way of medical ethics.