Reflection upon four versions of the ethics code for students of medicine

Abstract

Based on documentary analysis, the way how ethics codes insert ethics in the medicine graduation is investigated, regarding the subject teaching and the compliance with requirements and restrictions part of training. Four Ethics Codes of the Medical Student were studied, reflected in the Code of Medical Ethics. Without references to the National Curricular Guidelines (which highlight the reflective education and the active construction of knowledge), the documents place the technique at the center of the future professional development, performing low critical limits regarding the ethical decision-making process. Since the codes do not provide assessments or sanctions about ethical rules being broken by the student, they reinforce the idea that ??professionalization arises exclusively from the technical aspect, thus minimizing the intrinsic ethical nature of professional practice. The difficulty of Councils to interfere in academia makes institutions responsible for elaborating documents and establishing discussion forums on ethics in education, under encouragement and assistance of the Councils.