Visiting Holocaust-Related Sites with Medical Students as an Aid in Teaching Medical Ethics.

Publisher: The Association Country of Publication: Israel NLM ID: 100930740 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 1565-1088 (Print) NLM ISO Abbreviation: Isr Med Assoc J Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: Ramat Gan, Israel : The Association, c1999-

Holocaust*/ethics ; Holocaust*/psychology ; Physicians*/ethics ; Physicians*/psychology; Education, Medical/*methods ; Ethics, Medical/*education; Germany ; Humans ; National Socialism ; Teaching

During the Nazi period numerous doctors and nurses played a nefarious role. In Germany they were responsible for the sterilization and killing of disabled persons. Furthermore, the Nazi doctors used concentration camp inmates as guinea pigs in medical experiments for military or racial purposes. A study of the collaboration of doctors with National Socialism exemplifies behavior that must be avoided. Combining medical teaching with lessons from the Holocaust could be a way to transmit Medical Ethics to doctors, nurses and students. The authors describe a study tour with medical students to Poland, to the largest Nazi extermination camp, Auschwitz, and to the city of Krakow. The tour is the final component of a formal course entitled: "The Holocaust, a Reflection from Medicine" at the Autónoma University of Madrid, Spain. Visiting sites related to the Holocaust, the killing centers and the sites where medical experiments were conducted has a singular meaning for medical students. Tolerance, non-discrimination, and the value of human life can be both learnt and taught at the very place where such values were utterly absent.

Date Created: 20160720 Date Completed: 20160805 Latest Revision: 20160719

20221213

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