Emily Chen, a fifth-year medical student, is on her general practice placement. She is under the supervision of the GP tutor Dr. J Harris. During a routine clinic day, Dr. Harris instructs Emily to observe a consultation with a patient, Mr. Thompson, a 65-year-old with a history of hypertension and diabetes. Mr. Thompson is experiencing side effects from his current medication regimen, and Dr. Harris decides to prescribe a new medication.
After the consultation, Emily reviews Mr Thompson's file and notices that the new medication has potential interactions with another drug Mr Thompson is taking. Concerned about the possible adverse effects, Emily approaches Dr. Harris to discuss her findings.
Emily: "Dr. Harris, I noticed that the new medication for Mr. Thompson might interact with his current prescription. Should we reconsider this choice?"
Dr Harris: "I've been prescribing this combination for years without issues. Trust my judgment on this."
Emily feels conflicted. She respects Dr. Harris's experience but is worried about the potential harm to Mr. Thompson.
What should Emily do?
The Milgram Experiment was a psychological study by Stanley Milgram in the 1960s to explore how far people would go in obeying an authority figure, even if it meant harming another person.
Participants were told they were part of a learning experiment. They were assigned the role of a "teacher," while an actor (unknown to the participant) played the "learner."
The "teacher" was instructed to administer electric shocks to the "learner" every time the learner made a mistake on a memory task. The shocks increased in intensity with each mistake.
An authority figure, usually a scientist in a lab coat, was present to encourage the "teacher" to continue administering shocks, even as the "learner" (who was not receiving shocks) pretended to be in pain.
Findings: Many participants continued to administer shocks, even when the "learner" appeared to be in severe distress, simply because they were instructed to do so by the authority figure.
Conclusion: The experiment demonstrated that people are likely to follow orders from an authority figure, even to the extent of harming others, highlighting the power of authority in influencing behaviour.
Tension Between Authority and Ethical Responsibility
Dilemma of Professional Growth Versus Hierarchical Compliance
Conflict Between Patient Safety and Expediency
Ethical Courage: demonstrated moral courage by questioning an authority figure to ensure patient safety.
Patient Advocacy: prioritizing Mr. Thompson's well-being over hierarchical dynamics.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Consulting with others to bring out the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in healthcare decision-making.
Reflective Practice: reflecting on your actions and their ethical implications is crucial for her growth as a medical professional.
Badhwar NK. The Milgram Experiments, Learned Helplessness, and Character Traits. The Journal of Ethics [Internet]. 2009 Jun 3 [cited 2024 Sep 22];13(2-3):257–89. Available from: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10892-009-9052-4