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Course Progress:

Personal Conscience Introspective Questions

Consider the following questions:
- Do I view this treatment/procedure as potentially harmful to the patient or others?
  - YES: it could be a personal conscience or a professional integrity objection.
    - Professional integrity: informed by your medical understanding of harm and related ethical responsibility.
    - Personal conscience: informed by your deeply held religious and/or moral beliefs.
  - NO: it is most likely simply a personal preference.
- Would you experience intense shame or loss of self-respect if you performed the procedure/treatment?
  - YES: it is an example of a personal conscience objection. These treatments/procedures violate the provider’s deeply held moral or religious beliefs.
  - NO: it is most likely simply a personal preference.
- Does the procedure/treatment in question involve you in a matter of life and death? This includes procedures/treatments like fertility treatments (e.g., IVF) as well as procedures such as abortion and physician-assisted-dying/death with dignity.
  - YES: it is either a personal conscience or professional integrity objection.
    - Professional integrity: violates your professional ethics,
    - Personal conscience: violates deeply held religious/moral beliefs.
    - Note: for some providers, there may be considerable overlap between these two causes for objection.
  - NO: it is most likely simply a personal preference.