Understanding the WMA International Code of Medical Ethics – A video commentary by Prof. Urban Wiesing

The World Medical Association (WMA) has developed the International Code of Medical Ethics (ICoME) as a guide to ethical principles for physicians worldwide. Building on the WMA Declaration of Geneva: The Physician’s Pledge and the full body of WMA ethical guidelines, the Code defines physicians’ professional duties towards their patients, colleagues, other health professionals, themselves, and society at large.

In this short explanatory video, Prof. Urban Wiesing, Professor of Ethics and History of Medicine at the University of Tübingen, explores the background, purpose, and enduring relevance of the ICoME. He highlights why the Code remains essential for every physician, regardless of where they practice, and how it contributes to upholding the highest ethical standards in medicine.

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Dr. Ramin Parsa Parsi and Dr. Otmar Kloiber offer complementary reflections on the Code and its importance, further underlining its role as a cornerstone of professional ethics in medicine.