Muslim medical students get picky

[FMROMMEL]

Muslim medical students get picky

Daniel Foggo and Abul Taher
From The Sunday Times
October 7, 2007

Some Muslim medical students are refusing to attend lectures or answer exam questions on alcohol-related or sexually transmitted diseases because they claim it offends their religious beliefs.

Some trainee doctors say learning to treat the diseases conflicts with their faith, which states that Muslims should not drink alcohol and rejects sexual promiscuity.

A small number of Muslim medical students have even refused to treat patients of the opposite sex. One male student was prepared to fail his final exams rather than carry out a basic examination of a female patient.

The religious objections by students have been confirmed by the British Medical Association (BMA) and General Medical Council (GMC), which both stressed that they did not approve of such actions.

It will intensify the debate sparked last week by the disclosure that Sainsbury’s is permitting Muslim checkout operators to refuse to handle customers’ alcohol purchases on religious grounds. It means other members of staff have to be called over to scan in wine and beer for them at the till.

Critics, including many Islamic scholars, see the concessions as a step too far, and say Muslims are reneging on their professional responsibilities.

This weekend, however, it emerged that Sainsbury’s is also allowing its Muslim pharmacists to refuse to sell the morning-after pill to customers. At a Sainsbury’s store in Nottingham, a pharmacist named Ahmed declined to provide the pill to a female reporter posing as a customer. A colleague explained to her that Ahmed did not sell the pill for “ethical reasons”. Boots also permits pharmacists to refuse to sell the pill on ethical grounds.

The BMA said it had received reports of Muslim students who did not want to learn anything about alcohol or the effects of overconsumption. “They are so opposed to the consumption of it they don’t want to learn anything about it,” said a spokesman.

The GMC said it had received requests for guidance over whether students could “omit parts of the medical curriculum and yet still be allowed to graduate”. Professor Peter Rubin, chairman of the GMC’s education committee, said: “Examples have included a refusal to see patients who are affected by diseases caused by alcohol or sexual activity, or a refusal to examine patients of a particular gender.”

He added that “prejudicing treatment on the grounds of patients’ gender or their responsibility for their condition would run counter to the most basic principles of ethical medical practice”.

Shazia Ovaisi, a GP in north London, said one of her male Muslim contemporaries at medical school failed to complete his training because he refused to examine a woman patient as part of his final exams.

“He was academically gifted, one of the best students, but gradually he got in with certain Islamic groups and started to become more radical,” said Ovaisi.

“You could see there was a change in his personality as time went by. During the final exams he was supposed to treat a female patient in hospital. He refused to do it, even though it would have been a very basic examination, nothing intrusive.

“But he refused and as a result he failed his exams. I was quite shocked and disappointed about it because I don’t see there being anything in our religion that prohibits us from examining male and female patients.”

Both the Muslim Council of Britain and Muslim Doctors and Dentist Association said they were aware of students opting out but did not support them.

Dr Abdul Majid Katme, of the Islamic Medical Association, said: “To learn about alcohol, to learn about sexually transmitted disease, to learn about abortion, it gives us more evidence to campaign against it. There is a difference between learning and practising.

“It is obligatory for Muslim doctors and students to learn about everything. The prophet said, ‘Learn about witchcraft, but don’t practise it’.”


Muslim medical students get picky - Times Online

[the_only_one]

While I was growing up, I was always told, "doctors are your mahrams" therefore, it made it ok for me (a woman) to go up an male doctor whereas there was a definite shortage of female doctors. I think these young trainees are taking things a little too far. for a medical doctor saving a patient's life has to the top priority, not their gender..

now, im switching my family doc to a dark tall handsome lad

[SaidAbdullahofDarfur]

I see nothing wrong with these objections,
I don't see doctors as family members, Nor should a doctor see you as family.

Keeping stuff Halal, Is the most important thing.(to me that is)

[IbnMardhiyah]

FMROMMEL said

Dr Abdul Majid Katme, of the Islamic Medical Association, said: “To learn about alcohol, to learn about sexually transmitted disease, to learn about abortion, it gives us more evidence to campaign against it. There is a difference between learning and practising.

Ah, the refined difference between one who is a learned doctor and one who is just a medical student.

Yeah, these students are seriously going overboard.

[MossadConspiracy]

if its true, and its probably not, then they should be kicked out of med school

[Khairan]

Holy crap, how can people be this dense?

If people feel that their devotion to their religion (which I think is misplaced to begin with) supercedes their responsibilities to offer adequate care to their patients, then they shouldn't be doctors. Period. A huge number of problems that the average patient population has are self-inflicted as a result of vices. That doesn't mean they can't or shouldn't get at least basic medical care.

I second Mossad -- if these kids are seriously shirking their patient-care duties, they need to be punted.

As far as Muslim doctors not seeing female patients, I actually find this view rational if a bit extreme. However, Muslims wanting to train in the West must be prepared to accept the standards for medical training and licensure here. If they cannot conscience interacting with female patients as medical students or residents, they should seek training in Muslim countries and then they can tailor their practices however they want once they are fully trained attendings.

[roberto]

Khairan said

Holy crap, how can people be this dense?

If people feel that their devotion to their religion (which I think is misplaced to begin with) supercedes their responsibilities to offer adequate care to their patients, then they shouldn't be doctors. Period. A huge number of problems that the average patient population has are self-inflicted as a result of vices. That doesn't mean they can't or shouldn't get at least basic medical care.

I second Mossad -- if these kids are seriously shirking their patient-care duties, they need to be punted.

As far as Muslim doctors not seeing female patients, I actually find this view rational if a bit extreme. However, Muslims wanting to train in the West must be prepared to accept the standards for medical training and licensure here. If they cannot conscience interacting with female patients as medical students or residents, they should seek training in Muslim countries and then they can tailor their practices however they want once they are fully trained attendings.

An excellent post

[Timbit]

What dumbasses.

[LEGALEAGLE]

Which bunch of idiots gave them this sort of advice ?!

[shadha]

Then they need not be in med school.


shadha-

[Pushpa]

Bloody fools.

[Purple_alien]

Alcohol and promiscuity may not be allowed in Islam, but that doesn't mean there aren't Muslims who partake in them. If a Muslim just con/reverted and already has these illnesses, is the Muslim doctor going to tell them they can't treat them because the source is haram? how dumb.

[sumi]

wow these students are idiots... and as far as the pharmacist thing goes, use of the morning after pill is not restricted to people who have premarital sex, but is also used by married muslim couples as well...

[Ilikemyscarf]

I second whoever called them dumbasses. Dumbasses Indeed.

[Musashi]

Asallamu 'alaikum wa rahmatulLahi wa barakatuh

While I agree with the selling of alcohol being haram (which it is, unless you'd rather those Muslims had Allah's curse on them?), everything else is far too extreme, especially the sex thing with the doctors.
Not very smart thinking.