Medical students must accept responsibility for upholding their own individual code of professionalism based on universal standards of ethical behavior.
A residency program risks losing its accreditation status for violations to resident work hour regulations when the new policies are not clearly communicated to attending staff by department authority figures.
Research ethics should be included in the medical school curriculum so students and residents can fully understand the ethical implications of medical research.
New guidelines and the continuous modification of current policies will be needed in order to establish and maintain an appropriate professional relationship between physicians and pharmaceutical companies.
Residents and attending physicians have an ethical responsibility to speak up if there is a concern that a colleague lacks clinical skills and is providing inadequate patient care.
The Model State Emergency Health Powers Act proposes state legislation that should be enacted to ensure an adequate and coordinated response to public health emergencies.