Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW3066: Medical Ethics and Law

This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.

Module Aims

To develop your understanding of the legal and ethical principles involved in medical practice and research and to investigate the complex and sometimes conflicting practical and moral tensions of medical ethics and law. To raise your understanding of practical and theoretical implications and 'solution-resistant' dilemmas. To draw on classical principles of medical ethics and law, as well as current research into the law and ethics associated with emerging medical technologies.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.

On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the legal and ethical principles relevant to medical practice;
2. Understand, critically reflect upon and evaluate the operation of the contemporary field of medical law and ethics within its social context;
3. Synthesise and critically assess the content of legal and deontological norms at the national and international levels through a comparative approach.
Discipline-Specific Skills4. Demonstrate detailed and comprehensive knowledge and understanding of a range of legal and ethical concepts, values and principles and explain the relationships among them, and their limits;
5. Demonstrate ability to apply legal and ethical knowledge to a problem and to construct an argument supported by relevant principles and authorities.
Personal and Key Skills6. Communicate and engage in debate effectively and accurately, orally and in writing;
7. Demonstrate ability to identify, retrieve and use efficiently a range of library-based and electronic resources (both legal and medical journals) with minimum guidance;
8. Demonstrate the ability to work independently with minimal supervision and interact effectively within a team and learning group.