Learn how to approach professional issues arising from medical practice

About this course

This Ethics Foundation course is available for all NCHDs. The course certificate is recognised as equivalent to the HST mandatory Ethics Foundation course for those applying for the Specialist Division Register (SDR).

 You will learn how to approach ethical issues related to professionalism, law and research.

This is a blended course which consists of online content and virtual tutorials. The tutorial element of this course covers professionalism, legal and research ethical scenarios.

You must complete the online content and case studies prior to the virtual tutorial as the tutorial builds on the completed case studies.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course you should be able to

 • Identify and appropriately respond to professional issues relating to confidentiality, consent, and data protection

• Manage your own health and ill health appropriately and support colleagues in need  by following best routes of care for doctors

• Communicate professionally and ethically with patients and colleagues

• Follow the guide to professional conduct and ethics for registered medical practitioners

• Consider and discuss real cases and develop strategies to prevent, anticipate and manage ethical dilemmas

• Identify the meeting points between medicine, ethics and law, and where they differ

• Outline the working mechanism of the Fitness to Practice Committee of the Irish Medical Council

• Identify and  anticipate the ethical dilemmas from an ethical/legal framework

• Describe the role of a Research Ethics Committee

• Consider what makes research ethically sound

• Outline key considerations when applying for research ethics approval

• Describe how to protect vulnerable groups in research

Course format

This is a blended learning programme. There are three units to complete:

• Ethics Foundation online unit – Available in RCPI Brightspace, 1 hour

• Ethics Foundation (Professionalism, Law and Research) case study review and completion– Available in RCPI Brightspace, 2 hours

• Ethics Foundation tutorial – Takes place virtually via Zoom, 3.5 hours

Participants need to access Brightspace to complete the online content. Pre-course work must be completed on Brightspace in advance of the virtual session.

Designed for

This course is for NCHDs who are not on a RCPI HST training scheme. If you are a RCPI HST Trainee, please CLICK HERE to book on your course.