Bangkok Prep’s Medical Ethics Society

Over the past several weeks, Chawisa V (Song) and Arpassara W (Katii) have been leading the Medical Ethics Club at Bangkok Prep for their fellow medicine-inclined peers. This student-led society emanated from the desire to explore the philosophical foundations underlying medicine and was inspired by Dara and Jyanie’s (Y13) club last year.

Students from Year 10 to Year 13 were invited to participate in fruitful and intellectual discussions based on Beauchamp and Childress’s Four Principles of Biomedical Ethics. The themes of the discussion has additionally extended to the ethical issues surrounding capacity, consent and confidentiality in medicine.

The society has also welcomed Dr Jonathan Fletcher to lead and facilitate a discussion on the ethical issues surrounding healthcare rationing. It has been enlightening to look at the reality of rationing in the setting of racial and socioeconomic disparities, especially with the allocation of Covid-19 vaccines in an unjust pandemic raised as an example.

The dedication of students participating has been impressive – we (Song and Katii) would like to thank them and Ms Cantrill for allowing the society to come into being and thrive. We look forward to seeing the society blossom further in Term 3!