During the 1930s, the German medical establishment was admired as a world leader in innovative public health and medical research,

We want to understand why healers became killers and use our understanding
as a guide for medicine today, ... Even though the horrors
of the Holocaust seem to be so long ago, we can never forget this history because
it continues to affect medical ethics today. For example, one reason doctors
today are so concerned about racial and ethnic health disparities is because
our codes of ethics demand that we treat every person equally, without regard
to race or ethnic background. This ethical obligation is a direct outgrowth
of the horrors of Nazi medicine.

[The presentations will focus on the role Nazi medical practices played in the development of medical ethics and the lessons today's physicians have learned from the period leading up to the Holocaust. The series is jointly funded by the AMA Institute for Ethics, the AMA Foundation, the Museum's Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies and host institutions. The series will visit medical schools and selected universities across the country over the next year.] Many of the most important issues in medical ethics today - from genetic testing and stem cell research to the humane treatment of prisoners of war - are directly affected by the experiences of medicine leading up to and during the Holocaust, ... Physicians need to explore these issues without getting caught up in political agendas or the results can be something we never intended and cause great harm.

Many of these Skills for Life qualifications are at level 2 and many of them are being gained by 16- to 18-year-olds in college.

Many of the most important issues in medical ethics today - from genetic testing and stem cell research to the humane treatment of prisoners of war - are directly affected by the experiences of medicine leading up to and during the Holocaust. Physicians need to explore these issues without getting caught up in political agendas or the results can be something we never intended and cause great harm.

We want to understand why healers became killers and use our understanding as a guide for medicine today, ... Even though the horrors of the Holocaust seem to be so long ago, we can never forget this history because it continues to affect medical ethics today. For example, one reason doctors today are so concerned about racial and ethnic health disparities is because our codes of ethics demand that we treat every person equally, without regard to race or ethnic background. This ethical obligation is a direct outgrowth of the horrors of Nazi medicine.