PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - R B Welbourn TI - A model for teaching medical ethics. AID - 10.1136/jme.11.1.29 DP - 1985 Mar 01 TA - Journal of Medical Ethics PG - 29--31 VI - 11 IP - 1 4099 - http://jme.bmj.com/content/11/1/29.short 4100 - http://jme.bmj.com/content/11/1/29.full SO - J Med Ethics1985 Mar 01; 11 AB - The approach to teaching employed in the Dictionary of Medical Ethics (1) provides a model which might be adopted in other media. Most of the 150 authors were medical, but many represented other disciplines, and they wrote for similar professionals and for the general public. Medical ethics is derived from medical science and practice, moral philosophy, sociology, theology, the law and other disciplines, all of which make essential, distinctive and complementary contributions to knowledge and to teaching. Medical practitioners must play the primary role, because they are responsible for clinical ethical decisions, but they need the co-operation and guidance of others. All who are concerned should work towards the development of a general moral consensus among the profession and public, which keeps abreast of scientific and technical advances and to which all are committed.