Let’s explore the AMA Code of Ethics and see how the expectations for the ethical practice of medicine can help us

My Board accused me of breaching these standards, but had to remove those charges as well before the hearing. My comments about each principle are in italics.

AMA CODE OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2001 (and still in effect)

AMA PRINCIPLES OF MEDICAL ETHICS∗

Preamble

The medical profession has long subscribed to a body of ethical statements developed primarily for the benefit of the patient. As a member of this profession, a physician must recognize responsibility to patients first and foremost, as well as to society, to other health professionals, and to self. The following Principles adopted by the American Medical Association are not laws, but standards of conduct that
define the essentials of honorable behavior for the physician.
Principles of medical ethics

I. A physician shall be dedicated to providing competent medical care, with compassion and respect for human dignity and rights.—in other words, upholding bodily autonomy and informed consent, providing adequate information to patients and issuing appropriate vaccine or mask waivers

II. A physician shall uphold the standards of professionalism, be honest in all professional interactions, and strive to report physicians deficient in character or competence, or engaging in fraud or deception, to appropriate entities.—my board tried to use this one against me, but forgot that principle #8 required me to tell a white lie to save the life of a patient. Boards are routinely claiming that doctors who speak out are unprofessional, but this is a spurious claim as the standards for professionalism have nothing to do with public speech.

III. A physician shall respect the law and also recognize a responsibility to seek changes in those requirements which are contrary to the best interests of the patient.—The boards forget this one as well, since I and many others have attempted to change the current harmful requirements.

IV. A physician shall respect the rights of patients, colleagues, and other health professionals, and shall safeguard patient confidences and privacy within the constraints of the law. —Why would we support sanitary passports that put our patients’ medical information into an app, which they must produce to gain access to shops and services?

V. A physician shall continue to study, apply, and advance scientific knowledge, maintain a commitment to medical education, make relevant information available to patients, colleagues, and the public, obtain consultation, and use the talents of other health professionals when indicated.—Yet they are trying to punish us for advancing scientific knowledge about the proper treatment and prophylaxis of coronaviruses.

VI. A physician shall, in the provision of appropriate patient care, except in emergencies, be free to choose whom to serve, with whom to associate , and the environment in which to provide medical care.—Possibly this could be construed as stating that the doctor has no obligation to offer only government-instigated rules for care.

VII. A physician shall recognize a responsibility to participate in activities contributing to the improvement of the community and the betterment of public health.—Speaking out and writing to educate the public is exactly what the doctors being prosecuted were doing.

VIII. A physician shall, while caring for a patient, regard responsibility to the patient as paramount.—which is exactly what we were doing.

IX. A physician shall support access to medical care for all people.—This is why I kept my charges for COVID care so low, as I did not want to deprive anyone of the ability to get early treatment for a life-threatening illness.

∗ Revised June 2001. Copyright © 2016 American Medical Association.