The Medical Priority
An Ethical Decision Exercise
⚠️ Choices cannot be changed once confirmed
The Situation
Setting: Small district hospital, severe storm, 2 AM
You are the senior physician on duty. Two critical patients arrive simultaneously, both requiring immediate ventilator support. You have only ONE functional ventilator available.
Patient A
23-year-old medical student
- Severe respiratory failure
- <10% survival without ventilator
- Supports two younger siblings (ages 12, 14)
- Top of her class, full scholarship
Patient B
68-year-old research scientist
- Severe COVID-19 complications
- <15% survival without ventilator
- 6-8 months from completing cure for rare childhood disease
- Research could save ~500 children/year
Phase 1: Initial Response
What's your first action upon receiving both patients?
Select a choice below. You can review your selection before confirming.
Conduct Rapid Assessment
Take 2 minutes to assess both patients' vital signs before deciding
Contact Nearby Hospitals
Attempt to call nearby hospitals for additional resources or transfer options
Prepare for Younger Patient
Begin ventilator setup for the 23-year-old medical student immediately
Convene Ethics Committee
Attempt to gather hospital ethics committee for collective decision
Phase 2: Resource Allocation
Based on your initial assessment, what's your next decision?
Your Phase 1 Choice:
Phase 3: Implementation
How will you execute and monitor your decision?
Your Previous Choices:
Phase 4: Communication & Aftermath
How will you communicate with the families and process this decision?
Your Journey So Far:
✓ Exercise Complete
Here is your complete decision path and analysis
Phase 1: Initial Response
Phase 2: Resource Allocation
Phase 3: Implementation
Phase 4: Communication
Analysis of Your Decisions
Understanding the ethical principles behind your decisions
Your Decision-Making Traits:
Reflection & Interpretation
What Do These Frameworks Mean?
Deontological Ethics (Duty-Based): This approach focuses on following moral rules and duties regardless of outcomes. If you scored high here, you likely prioritized professional obligations, fairness, and adherence to medical protocols.
Utilitarian Ethics (Greatest Good): This perspective seeks to maximize overall benefit. Higher scores suggest you considered the broader impact of your decisions, possibly weighing factors like the scientist's potential to save many future lives.
Virtue Ethics (Character): This framework emphasizes acting with excellence, compassion, and integrity. High scores indicate attention to quality of care and professional virtues like diligence and empathy.
Ethics of Care (Relationships): This approach prioritizes empathy, personal attention, and individual needs. Higher scores suggest you valued personal communication and emotional support for patients and families.
Why This Matters:
There is no "correct" ethical framework - real medical professionals often blend these approaches. This exercise helps you understand your instinctive ethical tendencies and recognize that others may approach the same dilemma with equal validity from different ethical perspectives.
Key Insight: Medical ethics is rarely about finding the "right" answer, but rather about thoughtfully navigating competing values while maintaining professional integrity and compassion.