AlphaMED Resources · https://alphamedicine.uk/Resources/glossary/virtue-ethics
Virtue ethics
Virtue ethics judges an action by the character of the person acting.
Summary
- It goes back to Aristotle.
- It asks what a person of good character would do, where the other main theories ask about rules or results.
- The virtues it values in a doctor include honesty, compassion, courage and good judgement.
- Medical schools select for character as well as grades, which follows the same idea.
Interview questions
- What qualities make a good doctor?
- Can someone be a good doctor without being a good person?
- Can character be taught at medical school?
Practise answering these with a mentor
Our interview preparation has you answer questions like these out loud, with feedback on each answer.
alphamedicine.uk/Services · alphamedicine.uk/Contact
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.