This Student Guide for Medical Ethics Course practical activities was developed in a FAQs format to help the students at the medical college of King Fahd Medical City in Riyadh to understand what are the practical activities they can and have to do as part of their assessment for the medical ethics course, I developed and delivered.

1. Student Guide for Medical Ethics Course practical activities
1. What is this guide?
This manual helps you to choose and have your practical activities of the medical ethics course done with the best
outcome, and the most efficient way.
2. Why does the student need to do these activities?
Learning by doing is the best known teaching method. Exams can tell you how much you know; discussions and class
cases can tell you how much you understand; while practicing ethics-related activities is what tell you how much
you can really do with what you know and understand. It’s a rehearsal for what is waiting for you in real practice.
3.
4.
What are the practical activities I can/should do?
Ethics book review
Public awareness campaign
Producing short film (documentary) on an ethical issue
Ethics education material
Short Play or scene
Movie review
Ethics consultation meeting
Research ethics review meeting
Other activities that may think relevant
How to choose from among the proposed activities?
You are advised to choose the activities that:
o Meets your personal interests and talents
o You understand well
o Have a team to work with on
o Gives you the 5 marks you need
5. What if the activities we chose are worth more than 5 marks?
Although you can do that, you are NOT advised to choose activities that are more than 5 marks. It is better to focus
on 1-2 activities that you can do well than to spread your time and efforts in many activities that you may not get
half of its individual marks.
However, in case the activities you chose are more than 5 marks, the extra-marks will be spared for you in the marks
of active participation, with the limit of 3 extra-marks
6. How many students are allowed to do the same activities? Will we all get the same mark for the same activity
that we did together?
Some activities need many students to work on, like the public awareness campaign. There is no limited number for
students who want to do any activity, however the evaluation of each student is individual.
The student’s evaluation will depend on the logbook that you should fill and have it signed by the supervisor of the
activity.
7. The logbook has many activities to be filled, what if I choose one activity only?
Student Guide for Medical Ethics Course practical activities
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2. Most of the activities have ‘sub-activities’. For example, to conduct a public awareness campaign, or to develop a
short documentary, or develop an ethics educational material, there will be a number of meetings, discussions,
rehearsals, etc. each of these is an activity from which you can write something in the activity in the logbook.
-
The logbook is more about self-reflection on what you learned from the activity and from the group dynamics
by working with your colleagues.
8. I don’t know my group, how can I apply?
You don’t have to be in a group to submit for your practical part. Any student can submit through the link:
http://www.tfaforms.com/237931, whether s/he is a member of a team or not. Later, the students who chose the same activities
will be gathered to work together.
9. Should I have a supervisor? Why?
Every group doing the same activity is supposed to have a supervisor. For those who fail to have one, they can refer
to the course coordinator for advice. The supervisor helps you get on track easily and to make sure you know what
you are doing and how to do it.
10. If I have chosen the activities, What to do first? How can I know what are the purpose and suggested steps on
the main practical ethics activities?
They are summarized in the following table
Activity
1. Ethics
book review
Description and purpose of
activity
- This aims to make you read a
book on ethics, and tell us what
you think about it.
- You are NOT asked to read it
as ‘reading a textbook for an
exam’, rather to read with
critical reflection and critique.
Suggested steps
1. Go to the COM or the KFMC library
2. Ask the librarian on the books on ethics
3. Discuss with our group on which book
to choose (reading the content is the most
first step you should do when deciding on
reading a book)
4. You all read it all, or divide the chapters
among your group (chapter for each).
5. Read and summarize the book (or
chapter) your opinions and reflections on
what you read
6. Each student should write down a
review on what s/he read.
7. The group should assign the members
to do the collective final review.
8. The group will present to the whole
batch when done
Student Guide for Medical Ethics Course practical activities
Marks
Deliverable
assigned product
3 marks A written book
review of not
less than 1500
words
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3. 2. Public
awareness
campaign
- This refers to a set of
activities that aim at enhancing
the knowledge and attitudes of
the targeted by these activities
about a given cause.
1. Meet with one or more of the main
related departments in the FOM or KFMC
(e.g. public relations, patients’ affairs,
admission office, religious affairs, medical
errors committee, medical ethics
committee, etc.)
2. Ask the department you managed to
meet for their areas of gap of knowledge
or attitudes. In simple words, what are the
topics they are interested to make patients
and or clinicians to be more aware of?
3. Decide among yourselves, after
consulting the supervisor, on which topics
are more relevant and feasible to do.
4. Discuss and decide on the activities you
think should be there in the campaign.
5. Distribute the roles among yourselves
(Who should do What When?)
6. Set you plan from preparation to
delivery in a Gannt’s chart, or other time
management/planning tool (MS Project
Manager is a good one)
7. Have your plan approved by the
relevant department, including the
needed resources
8. Conduct the campaign as decided by
the relevant department.
5 marks
1. The
educational
material
2. The
activity report
3. Certificates
from the
collaborating
department
with your
names on
them
4. Any
educational or
advocacy
material that
you developed
for the
campaign
3. Producing
- To produce a short video (3short film
30 minutes) that presents an
(documentary) ethical issue in a drama or
on an ethical
documentary
issue
1. Meet with your team and supervisor to
choose a topic
2. Discuss the possible scenarios
3. Discuss and write the script
4. Distribute the roles among yourselves
5. Prepare the technical needs, e.g. video
camera, recorder...etc.
6. Set a time for video taping
7. Edit the video, and make it presentable
5 marks
A good quality
finished edited
video
8. Developing
Ethics
education
material
1. Meet with the group, the supervisor and
the relevant department in the hospital
2. Decide on the topics you want to cover
3. Assess your target group’s pervious
knowledge about the topic(s)
4. Discuss and decide on how best to
present topic (brochure? poster? snowman
in the main hospital’s entrance? BE
INNOVATIVE)
5. Design and develop printed materials to
be used in ethics education for patients,
families, and staff
3 marks
The developed
material and
any other
supporting
material, e.g.
photos for
preparations
or meetings.
- To develop a new educational
material that can be used to
educate a target group on one
or more ethical issue
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4. 9. Short Play
or scene
- The purpose of this activity is
to prepare a short play of one
or more scenes that presents
an ethical issue.
- The main difference between
this and the activity 3 (short
movie) that it will be done live
and not video-taped
1. Meet with your group and supervisor to
decide on the ethical issue your role play
will discuss
2. Start developing the script, including the
distribution of roles
3. Rehearsal is very important. You need to
give enough time to practice. Remember
you will play it live!
3 marks
10. Movie
review
- This is bit more than watching
a drama movie and cry!
- you should watch a movie, if
you don’t have religious
reasons not to do, and answer
a set of questions that are
related to ethics:
 What are the ethical issues
discussed/presented in the
movie?
 Who did what wrong,
ethically speaking? Explain why
you think it is ethically wrong.
 How would have you done, if
you were in his/her position?
- Almost every clinician faces
an ethical issue/dilemma as
s/he practices. Some of these
issues need experts opinion to
help in resolving them.
- The purpose of this activity is
to acquaint yourself to the
process taken by ethics experts
to help clinicians resolve ethical
issues
- Discuss with your team on the movie(s)
that you have access to and talks about one
or more ethical issues.
- These links may give you some guidance:
http://www.cityethics.org/Top10%20Ethics
%20Films
http://faculty.deanza.edu/burkelarry/storie
s/storyReader$163
- Watch a movie that presents a set of
healthcare ethical issues
- Write down your reflections on the movie
with the answers for the mentioned
questions.
3 marks
- Coordinate with your supervisor to attend
the next ethics-related meeting.
- Attend the meeting on time, observe, and
take notes of what took place in the
meeting.
- Write down your reflections on what you
attended (what was the problem? who
submitted it? What are the ethical issues at
stake? How did the experts managed it and
what have they recommended?)
2
marks/
meeting
- Every research that involves
human participants should be
reviewed scientifically and
ethically before being
conducted.
- The purpose of this activity is
to acquaint yourself to the
process taken by ethics experts
to help researchers manage the
ethical issues in their research
before starting
- Coordinate with your supervisor to attend
the next ethics-related meeting.
- Attend the meeting on time, observe, and
take notes of what took place in the
meeting.
- Write down your reflections on what you
attended (what were the ethical points
identified? How did the experts managed it
and what have they recommended?)
2
marks/
meeting
11. Ethics
consultation
meeting
12. Research
ethics review
meeting
A written
Script and a
play of a short
role play (not
more than 10
minutes) that
presents and
discusses an
ethical issue
An individual
written movie
review by each
member with
the answers to
the related
questions
Your
reflections on
each meeting
should be
written down
and signed by
the head of
the
committee, or
your
supervisor
Your
reflections on
each meeting
should be
written down
and signed by
the head of
the
committee, or
your
supervisor
11. Can I change my mind later if I didn’t like the activity I chose?
Yes, but this is not advisable. This is why it important to choose what you really understand and like. Moreover, the
course coordinator cannot guarantee to you to find you a chance with another group to work with.
Student Guide for Medical Ethics Course practical activities
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5. 12. How Can I choose my supervisor?
Whenever you have sit with your group and outlined your ideas on what you want to do and how you imagine doing
it, feel free to contact the following:
Name
Prof. Omar H. Kasule
Activities he would more likely supervise
- Research ethics meetings
- Clinical ethics meetings
- Book reviews
Email
Okasule@kfmc.med.sa
Dr. Abdulaziz AlKabba
-
Research ethics meetings
Clinical ethics meetings
aalkaabba@kfmc.med.sa
Mr. Nasir Almanie, head of
Patient Affairs, KFMC
-
Public awareness campaign
Producing short film
(documentary) on an ethical issue
Developing Ethics education
material
Ethics consultation meeting
nalmane@kfmc.med.sa
Research ethics meetings
Clinical ethics meetings
Book reviews
Public awareness campaign
Producing short film
(documentary) on an ethical issue
Developing Ethics education
material
General supervision
ghussein@kfmc.med.sa
Dr. Ghaiath Hussein
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13. What to do if I (or my group) got stuck and didn’t know what to do next?
First, you should consult with your supervisor, but if not available contact the course coordinator.
14. When is the latest date to submit my logbook? What if I am late in submission?
Due date for logbook submission is Wednesday 30/05/2012. Any unexcused delay will cost you one mark for
every day of delay.
15. Have further questions, problems or queries?
Contact the course coordinator, Dr. Ghaiath Hussein (ghussein@kfmc.med.sa). If you want to come to the office,
please call first (01-2889999 Ext. 7588)
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