AlphaMED Resources · https://alphamedicine.uk/Resources/deontology
Deontology
Deontology judges an action by whether it follows a moral duty, whatever the outcome.
Summary
- It is associated with Immanuel Kant.
- A deontologist would say a doctor must tell the truth even when a lie might spare the patient distress.
- Professional codes are largely built this way. Duties such as confidentiality apply even when breaking them might seem to do good.
- Its weakness is that duties can conflict, and it gives no simple way to choose between them.
Interview questions
- What is the difference between deontology and utilitarianism?
- Is it ever acceptable for a doctor to lie to a patient?
- Which approach do you think doctors use more in practice?
Practise answering these with a mentor
Our interview preparation has you answer questions like these out loud, with feedback on each answer.
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More NHS hot topics, medical ethics case studies and medical school interview questions are in AlphaMED Resources, which we add to and update through the application cycle.