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

by Philip C. Hebert, Wayne Rosen

A case-based approach that provides the advice and skills medical practitioners need to help patients and overcome ethical challenges

Now in its fourth edition, Doing Right offers healthcare trainees and practitioners alike a comprehensive, user-friendly guide to contemporary biomedical ethics. Taking an applied case-based approach, this engaging text explores complex ethical issues through real-life scenarios, making it relatable to all types of healthcare professionals.

Genres: Medicine, Nonfiction, Medical, Philosophy, Reference, Health, Textbooks

432 pages, ebook

First published August 29, 1996

Reviews

[Sofiya]

As per usual, I don’t rate textbook-like books, but this one can get a minor review.

This gave me an even larger appreciation of grey areas tbh. As objective as medicine may seem to some people, it really truly has a great deal of subjectivity. It’s so easy to think that there is a correct way of doing things… but then once you look at it in a more holistic way, you realize that “correct” is not universal. What I got from this was: sometimes there is no correct answer, there is no framework, and you may have to just approach the situation as it unravels, and deal with it on a case-by-case basis. Not to mention that you don’t have to deal with it alone– there is a whole healthcare team that can assist with tackling ethical dilemmas.

I really appreciated the case studies and discussion of them, it allowed for a greater understanding of the various perspectives involved as well as the implication of decisions relating to them (social, ethical, law, cultural… etc). Also the fact that it was very Canadian-specific was a bonus to understanding how various cases were handled and what came from them.

As stressful and daunting as this book can make medicine and healthcare professions sound–with the legal and moral obligations and potential lawsuits–I think that if you go into it with the intention of doing right, with the intention and effort to do what you can for the betterment of each patient, then you will be okay. At the end of the day, you chose this career to help others, and sometimes that form of help looks different depending on the case. As scary as making the wrong decision seems, if you actively put care, effort, and thought into making the decision, with the patient’s health and concerns as a central factor, then I think you did your part as a healthcare professional. (I maybe say this as an affirmation to counter my own worries hahaha.)

[Marley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this book as an MMI prep book. Unfortunately it wasn't as helpful as I had hoped though this was mainly due to the nature of the questions asked during my interview. Regardless, it was an interesting read and was quite extensive in regards to the ethical dilemmas and situations faced in medicine. The case examples were, in my opinion, the most useful and interesting parts of the book. There were several points where the author focused quite heavily on approaching a situation from the eyes of the law. This is useful as of course being mindful of the law is important, but the case examples really drove home what it's like to be in situations similar to what a medical professional might face.
It was a little bit of a pricey book though. In my case it was regularly priced at $80, luckily I was able to get a discount, which isn't readily affordable for everyone. I know that this book is highly recommended, but in my opinion I believe that if you can't borrow the book then don't worry about having to buy it if the cost is too high. It's a handy resource and it's convenient to have all of these ethical concepts in one place, but sufficient research will suffice. And again, if it's to help prepare for an interview it may not even be applicable as was the case for mine.

[Ryan Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with a lot of relevant and thought provoking examples; a lot of detail makes it a chore to work through at times, but that is exactly what one wants as a trainee and it was certainly beneficial to read.

[Muralie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read. Have read this prior to med school, but is a nice refresher on Canadian ethics laws. Adding in case studies and major news studies made it very engaging.

What I got from it:
1. Initially when dialysis was rolled out (as it was scarce in quantity) it was provided only to certain groups. Single, female, coloured individuals often were not offered the treatment.

Canada also has a history from 1930-1970s of forced sterilization of over 3000 women, a large amount of whom were indigenous.

2. A child who is a Jehovah's witness, and is capable of decision making (ie a 12 year old who can appreciate the risks/benefits of his options), can reject blood transfusion. However, a parent cannot reject lifesaving blood transfusions for an incapable child (ie an infant).

3. Psychiatric patients can be admitted against their will (ie for risk to self or others). However, if they are deemed capable of decision making, they do not have to take medications. Thus, these patients remain in hospitalized settings for prolonged periods, not getting better.

4. Currently medical assistance in dying requires that the person be 18 have a grievous and irremediable condition, and provide informed consent on two occasions, including right before the procedure. However, if for example, a long standing cancer patient agrees to MAID, then over the next few months becomes delirious or confused, they will not be offered the procedure.

5. Pros/cons of Rate MD: The benefit is that docs can get feedback on how to improve their practice (ie returning messages, timeliness, staffing, bedside manners) and patients can feel empowered. The drawback is that patients may be unfairly assessing doctors, as the quality of care can be hard to assess by patients. In addition, if doctors give bad news (ie cancer diagnosis) or unpopular advice (ie weight loss) this may lead to resentful patients. Lastly, to combat bad reviews, physician may focus on getting positive ratings, rather than providing the most evidenced based care.

6. In the Nuremberg Trials of Nazi doctors, it was found that several performed non-consensual and heinous research on prisoners from the camps. This led to the current 'Declaration of Helsinki,' describing that human research can only be performed with the voluntary consent of participants.

[Martha]

medical school textbook

[Julian Lui · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really surprised me!

I read this book in preparation for my interview and it quickly went from a study/chore to a bingeable and enjoyable read. I read the more recent edition and ordered it off of Amazon. I found that the book tackled many real-world scenarios that I've wondered about myself. The discussions surrounding the cases were truly insightful. I thought that the book was incredibly useful and even found myself taking pages of notes as I tried to remember as many lessons as possible from the book. I can't recommend this book enough for anyone interested in medical ethics or medical practice in Canada. This book is extremely eye-opening to many realistic scenarios that healthcare providers go through everyday that ordinary people like me never really stop to question or think about.

[Sid Goutam · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his book, Hebert explores different clinical scenarios from history that have shaped the foundations of medical ethics. He follows the scenarios with eloquently explained discussions, where he suggests things to consider, and the importance of the clinical situation to all parties involved. These cases were really helpful in better understanding what ethical scenarios in the clinic may look like.

Hebert also has a remarkable ability to bring the reader back from the particular to the bigger picture and constantly revisits why the larger topic (of say confidentiality) is important in medicine.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed how the book explored the ethical and legal concerns regarding a specific dilemma, and which decision would serve the patient in question. I do wish there were more examples and cases, along with guidance for the discussion question for those who read the book alone. (It's me. I'm the one who read the book alone.) Working in clinics, I've been exposed to several patient dilemmas and have learned how subjective medicine is. Reading the book highlighted those experiences and gave me a deeper understanding of what I have witnessed. Throughout the book, Hebert offers incredible insights to those with and without medical expertise.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A practical book about medical ethics and an approach we can take to reason out ethical dilemmas in this setting. An important read for any healthcare practitioner—part of our business entails the intricacies of ethics, from the good to the bad, the right to the wrong

[Anju · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive and detailed book on medical ethics. I genuinely learned a lot and I loved how the book was formatted - learning about ethics, sample case studies, real examples and further questions for us to assess our understanding of ethics. 10/10 recommend!

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent book, if a little overrated. Discusses some tricky situations in that can come up in medicine, but doesn't give very thorough answers or reasoning for how exactly one should handle them.

[Publius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive guide on medical ethics. Basically an alternative title could suitably be "How not to get sued as a physician".

[Brenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book aloud to my fiancé for med school. Found it very interesting especially the case studies.

[Sara]

may thy casper scores be high (even tho this book definitely goes way beyond what I'll need for the test)

[Anjelica · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A good clinical care does not consider the patient with serious illness simply as an object to be cured, but involves recognitions of their worth and experiences as humans in crisis."

[Willem Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for what it is. Has interesting cases and solid explanations, but as expected is not the most enthralling read.

[Camila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for class. A super accessible discussion on medical ethics; more applicable than most Philosophy papers on the topic, though less definitive.

[Songrui Zhang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I was under too much pressure to prepare for the medical supplementary applications and CASPer. And maybe I'll need to read this book again during my leisure when I'm just trying to understand the book.

But somehow I feel like this book is teaching ethics in the "wrong" way. I feel like ethics is a process or a "way of thinking" that people go through and maybe a better way to do that is in a course or something. This book was very difficult to really get into my brain, because it was all about "THIS IS RIGHT, and THIS IS WRONG." AND NOW MEMORIZE. And I can see how that is so pleasing for so many people because sometimes we just want someone to tell us the answer, god-darn-it.

But somewhere deep in me feels that this is the wrong way, and the less interesting way to approach ethics. I spent the entire time with a headache memorizing case laws and "steps" needed to make the right answer. And it felt very exhausting and boring.

[Dan Xia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe this book to be a must for any students, practitioners, and professionals within the healthcare space. It is so easy to say and think we will do the right thing just by using common sense and human decency, but often, there are ethical cases in which there is no easy answer. This book is a reminder to evaluate such issues through principles and humanity and to see different perspectives. This books provides the tools to view ethical issues, and while it may not give all the answers you may need, it is great at prompting thought and review. Each chapter also has a myriad of cases to study from and apply what you learn. While it was definitely dense and at times boring/repetitive, I think I am at least a little better equipped to enter the medical space and provide care that is more patient-centered.

[Doomed Lions · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Hebert is a Canadian physician and works at University of Toronto's Joint Center for Bioethics. An amazing introductory book for anyone who wants to get their feet wet in the ocean that is medicine: a science and an art. And ethics dictate how we should sail through this ocean. A must for every medical student.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't actually read the whole thing - read about 2/3 in preparation for medical school interviews - but didn't finish only because of time. Easy to read with lots of case studies to make it practical and thought-provoking. Useful for anyone in the health care profession or in studying biomedical ethics.

[Velayudhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book that teaches ethics ("doing the right thing") in an interesting and easy to understand way with many real life examples. I understood ethical concepts in a way I had never done before.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative. A lot of the health systems information and ethical reasoning processes were unfamiliar to me, so I learned a lot. The questions at the end of the chapters were good for making me actually engage with the material.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a really easy to read book that gave an excellent foundation in medical ethics. The case studies and discussions were relevant and easy to understand.

[ruthgrace · Rating 5 out of 5]

An invaluable and comprehensive introduction to the ethical dilemmas a physician may face.

[Dajana22 · Rating 3 out of 5]

actually enjoyed the stories in this guide

[Rebecca]

Excellent start on bioethics. General, and example based.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of medical ethics. I used it as interview prep so didn't read every word but focused on the case studies and explanations.

[Thomas J. Benedict · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best resource of MMI prep, in my opinion.

[Mostafa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful resource with many thought-provoking cases throughout the book.