A medical student’s desire to practice the specialty that he or she finds most interesting should not outweigh the right of patients in a pluralistic society to receive a full range of legal medical services.
Even if they are not sick, people in quarantine are still patients; the physician is responsible for their well-being and may find that it is necessary to advocate for them.
With good planning and good will, medical professionals’ right of conscience and patients’ rights to controversial services can be both protected and accommodated.
Raising occupational consciousness and critically questioning ahistorical and apolitical uses of "battle" is needed for responding to antimicrobial resistance.
AMA J Ethics. 2024;26(5):E390-398. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2024.390.