AlphaMED Resources · https://alphamedicine.uk/Resources/glossary/moral-agency
Moral agency
Moral agency is the ability to tell right from wrong, to choose how to act and to be held responsible for that choice.
Summary
- Adults are normally treated as full moral agents. Young children are not.
- A doctor remains a moral agent when following an instruction or a protocol, and is accountable for what they do.
- Conscientious objection rests on it. A doctor may decline to take part in a procedure they believe is wrong, provided the patient is not left without care.
Interview questions
- A senior doctor tells you to do something you think is wrong. What do you do?
- Can following orders ever excuse a harmful act?
- Should doctors be allowed to opt out of treatments they disagree with?
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.