In this part of a series on medical ethics and the state of medical practice in 1982, Thomas Ballantine, William Bennett, John Curnutte, Allen Dyer, and Chase Peterson discuss the tensions between interpretations of professional ethics by physicians and by the public. They comment on the Karen Quinlan case as an example of the legal aspects of medical care, and the nature of media coverage. They discuss the specter of malpractice litigation that overshadows one’s work as a physician, and that some aspects of governmental regulation are more effective than others. They close with some advice they would give to young people considering a career in medicine. John Agresto joins the conversation.
At the time of this interview, Ballantine was professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. Bennett was chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Curnutte was a research fellow in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and the Sidney Farber Cancer Institute. Dyer, a Fellow at the National Humanities Center (1981-82), was professor of psychiatry at Duke Medical Center. Peterson was vice president for health sciences at the University of Utah. Agresto, a Fellow at the National Humanities Center 1978-79), was special programs officer at the Center.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
