Ethics and law in the medical curriculum--a university of the West Indies perspective.

The Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS), University of the West Indies, recognizes that ethics and law are not currently given adequate importance in the training of health professionals. FMS also recognizes the rapid advancement of technology, such as transplants, artificial organs, in vitro fertilization, life-sustaining equipment and euthanasia, as well as the ever-increasing prevalence of malpractice. Thus, two conferences were held to consider the implementation of ethics and law in the medical curriculum. The conferences recommended an increased input into the curriculum of ethics and law, and that this programme be taught and examined in all the medical years. The article discusses implementation strategies.