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Ethics Talk

Nov 1, 2010

In advance directives, we tell our physicians and surrogate decision makers what types of care we want--and don't want--when we can no longer make decisions for ourselves. But research consistently shows a gap between patients' preferences for end-of-life care and what their surrogate decision makers think those...


Aug 1, 2010

The Military Personnel Eligibility Act of 1993, commonly known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," allowed gays to serve in the U.S. military as long as they did not make their sexual orientation known. The act has long been a hot-button issue for many politicians, gay rights activists, conservative pundits, and members of the...


Jun 1, 2010

Over the past decade there have been numerous stories about overcrowded ERs. One way many communities addressed such overcrowding was to divert ambulances away from overcrowded hospitals to less busy ones that had available room and resources to treat patients. In Jan 2009, Massachusetts became first state...


May 1, 2010

Cosmetic surgery is a hotly debated issue in our society. Is it a consumer good or a medical procedure? Should elective procedures be taxed? Does plastic surgery promote oppressive norms of beauty? Virtual Mentor asked six "people on the street" in Chicago for their views about the personal and social effects of...


Apr 1, 2010

Despite the fact that the majority of Americans are now medically defined as overweight, stigma against individuals who are obese remains a widespread phenomenon. Virtual Mentor asked Dr. Rebecca Puhl, Director of Research and Anti-Stigma Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University to...