TheBritishMedicalJournalrecentlyfeaturedastrongresponsetowhatwasjudgedaninappropriatelylenientreactionbyamedicalschooltoastudentcheatinginanexamination. Althoughwehaveinsufficientreliabledataabouttheextentofthisphenomenon,itsprevention,oritseffectivemanagement,muchcanbeconcludedandactedupononthebasisofcommonsenseandconceptswithfacevalidity. Thereisgeneralagreementthatthereshouldbezerotoleranceofcheatinginaprofessionbasedontrustandoneonwhichhumanlivesdepend.Itisreasonabletoassumethatcheatersinmedicalschoolwillbemorelikelythanotherstocontinuetoactdishonestlywithpatients,colleagues,insurers,andgovernment. Thebehavioursunderquestionaremultifactorialinorigin.Therearefamilial,religious,andculturalvaluesthatareacquiredlongbeforemedicalschool.Forexample,countries,cultures,andsubculturesexistwherebribesanddishonestbehaviourarealmostanorm.Therearesecondaryschoolsinwhichneitherstaffnorstudentstoleratecheatingandotherswherecheatingisrampant;therearehomeswhichimbueyoungpeoplewithhighstandardsofethicalbehaviourandotherswhichleaveethicaltrainingtotheharmfulinfluenceoftelevisionandthemarketplace. Medicalschoolsreflectsocietyandcannotbeexpectedtoremedyalltheillsofasociety.Theselectionprocessofmedicalstudentsmightbeexpectedtofavourcandidateswithintegrityandpositiveethicalbehaviour--ifonehadareliablemethodfordetectingsuchcharacteristicsinadvance.Medicalschoolsshouldbethemajorfocusofattentionforimbuingfuturedoctorswithintegrityandethicalsensitivity.Unfortunatelytherearetroubling,ifinconclusive,datathatsuggestthatduringmedicalschooltheethicalbehaviourofmedicalstudentsdoesnotnecessarilyimprove;indeed,moraldevelopmentmayactuallystoporevenregress. Thecreationofapervasiveinstitutionalcultureofintegrityisessential.Itiscriticalthattheacademicandclinicalleadersoftheinstitutionsetapersonalexampleofintegrity.Medicalschoolsmustmaketheirinstitutionalpositionandtheirexpectationsofstudentsabsolutelyclearfromdayone.Thedevelopmentofaschool'scultureofintegrityrequiresapartnershipwiththestudentsinwhichtheyplayanactiveroleinitscreationandnurturing.Moreover,theschool'sexaminationsystemandgeneraltreatmentofstudentsmustbeperceivedasfair.Finally,thetreatmentofinfractionsmustbefirm,fair,transparent,andconsistent. Whatdoestheauthorsayaboutcheatinginmedicalschools
A.Extensive research has been done about this phenomenon. B.We have sufficient data to prove that prevention is feasible. C.We are safe to conclude that this phenomenon exists on a grand scale. D.Reliable data about the extent, prevention and management of the phenomenon is lacking.正确答案D
