THE CORE CURRICULUM IN MEDICAL ETHICS AND LAW

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The core curriculum in medical ethics and law was
updated in 2010 (Stirrat et al 2010) and sets out a core
content of learning for medical ethics and law in the UK.
It has been endorsed by the General Medical Council
(GMC), which means it will form a basis for the standards
expected from medical schools and hence of medical
students.
In Years 1 and 2 medical students are expected to:
• recognize and understand core ethical and legal
topics
• apply common ethical arguments using constructed
case scenarios
• be able to understand and discuss differing viewpoints
• be aware of the requirements of GMC on student
fitness to practice.
In Years 3 and 4 medical students are expected to:
• be familiar with the GMC’s professional codes of
conduct
• recognize ethical and legal issues and be able to
apply common ethical arguments to actual clinical
encounters in different specialties and public health
interventions
• recognize and conform with professional and legal
obligations in practice
• demonstrate the ability to reflect on ethical practice
of self, peers and teachers.
In Year 5 (and 6 where applicable) medical students are
expected to be able to:
• integrate ethical analysis of actual clinical encounters
with clinical knowledge and skills and legal
obligations
• elaborate on common ethical arguments
• propose action/decision based on this synthesis
• display professional attitudes and behaviours consistent
with Good Medical Practice
• be aware of their own values.
In the foundation years and their subsequent careers,
doctors should be able to demonstrate increasing competence
in how to identify, acknowledge and deal with
ethical, legal and professional issues on which good
medical practice is based. Teaching and learning should
be relevant to both their particular stage of training and
relevant specialty-specific ethical issues.
The updated curriculum also specifies a core content
of learning for medical ethics and law:
• Foundations of medical ethics and law (see Ch. 1)
• Professionalism: ‘good medical practice’ (see Ch. 2)
• Patients: their values, narratives, rights and responsibilities
(see Ch. 3)
• Informed decision-making and valid consent or
refusal (see Ch. 3)
• Capacity and incapacity (see Ch. 3)
• Confidentiality (see Ch. 2)
• Justice and public health (see Ch. 5)
• Children and young people (see Ch. 3)
• Mental health (see Ch. 3)
• Beginning of life (see Ch. 4)
• Towards the end of life (see Ch. 4)
• Medical research and audit (see Chs 2 and 11).

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