This month, AMA Journal of Ethics theme editor Jacquelyn Nestor, a fifth-year MD/PhD student at Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine, interviewed Allen Buchanan, PhD, about how we can safely explore cutting-edge biomedical enhancements.

Dr Lisa M. Meeks joins Ethics Talk to discuss her article, coauthored with Dr Christopher Moreland: “How Should We Build Disability-Inclusive Medical School Admissions?”

Dr Dorothy W. Tolchin joins Ethics Talk to discuss her article, coauthored with Nicole D. Agaronnik, Shahin A. Saberi, and Dr Michael Ashley Stein: “Why Disability Must Be Included in Medical School Diversification Efforts”

A guardian’s request to sterilize a woman with intellectual disabilities is not ethically justifiable unless the woman assents and it is to her benefit.

The medical profession’s valuing of intellectual ability may inadvertently harm people with intellectual or cognitive disabilities who have a different notion of “the good life.”

A mandatory faculty course on dyslexia is recommended to prevent bias against and misunderstanding of medical students who have this condition.

Disparities in children’s mental health care could be addressed through expansion of school-based programs via passage of the Mental Health in Schools Act.

Physicians should go beyond basic medical diagnosis and treatment to offer support to families about the gamut of social and emotional issues that are involved with caring for a severely disabled child.

A bioethicist argues that children with Down syndrome should not be subjected to cosmetic surgery to change their appearance unless they are at the age and have the capacity to make the decision for themselves.

For reasons of medical ethics, medical schools should embrace functional technical standards that focus on the capabilities of students with disabilities.