Opinion

All physicians and medical students should write advance directives

LETTER — Posted Jan. 19, 2004

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Regarding "Advance directives: Talk now about plans for care" (Editorial, Dec. 15, 2003): The tragedy of the Schiavo case in Florida makes a compelling case for advance directives.

If there are technical problems with an AD in an individual state, they can be remedied by fine-tuning the document.

I propose that all physicians and their families create ADs now (I have done so). I also have proposed to the dean of the University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, that every medical student be instructed to create an AD for themselves now.

The purpose would be to educate each medical student as to the content of the actual document and to give them the ability to counsel patients based on knowledge as they enter their clinical years.

Michael J. Franzblau, MD, San Rafael, Calif.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/01/19/edlt0119.htm.

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