The Value of Integrity in the Medical Field: Nurturing Ethics in Students THrough Honor Codes
We live in a world where finding shortcuts and cheating systems for our personal benefit has become easier than ever. These rapid advancements in technology and internal desires to be successful despite the costs are irrefutable and often difficult to resist. Consequently, developing ethical behavior and integrity from a young age is essential to the betterment of our society, and thus places a greater responsibility on institutions such as Health Careers High School, a medically-focused magnet school that cultivates future leaders in the health field. As a result, honor codes, a set of statements addressing the principles of integrity, have become a crucial tool for shaping the character of the next generation. In order to develop robust moral and ethical values in students, Health Careers should keep but reform its honor code by clearly establishing a purpose for its clauses and incorporating the student body’s opinions.
Honor codes are important to our campus as they signify the condemnation of dishonesty and reinforce the virtues of moral behaviors in students’ growing minds. When signing an honor code, students are gently reminded of “moral values and a responsibility to perform honestly in the school environment” (Source B) staying true to the idea that “expectations determine reality” (Source C). Schools are places that facilitate the growth of children and prepare them for future success, developing skills not only on an academic level but also in a social and ethical context. By having an honor code in place, schools are able to concretely convey to students the importance of honesty. Delineating what is “right” and “wrong,” honor codes shape students’ moral principles, a driving force in the way students act that will most likely carry with them into their future healthcare professions; therefore, if we want to establish a future that values ethics, it may be better to amplify the virtues of morality rather than discard of this guide. Similarly, in the Lawrence Academy, senate members voted to keep honor codes in their school not because they were perfectly effective in eradicating the pervasive problems of cheating but rather because “implicit in an honor code is a belief in the integrity of human beings” that extends beyond just “another rule to obey” (Source B). Though it is true that students’ integrity may not always be preserved and the environment of complete and mutual trust within the student body is idealistic, honor codes display morally righteous actions as commendable acts, subconsciously becoming a goal students may strive towards and thus nurturing better doctors, physicians, and researchers. If we dispose of our honor code, it not only makes a statement of officials’ apathy towards cheating in a classroom setting but also may imply that dishonesty and deceiving behavior in the adult world isn’t morally wrong, an unideal message to teach the future leaders in the medical field. Consequently, because Health Careers High School is raising the future generation, it is imperative that the school continues to set these high expectations, even if they are based on overly optimistic principles, in order to orient students toward a more ethically conscious future.
To help develop this consciousness of ethics in students, it may be effective to include why these principles are necessary within the honor code. This allows students to understand “the importance of behaving with integrity” (Source B), establishing the value of diligence and revealing how it is not worth shuffling down the convenient path of cheating. Furthermore, incorporating reasoning into honor codes “involve[s] students in [a] systematic or meaningful way” (Source F). If students are able to comprehend the implications their actions may have, despite seeming trivial to themselves at first glance, it can transform the code from a demeaning, restrictive list of mandates into a helpful guide that is reasonable and employed for the betterment and growth of the students. This forces students to not simply accept the rules as an absolute fact but rather embrace them, creating stronger, long-lasting connections between the information and the student. Armed with an understanding of their actions and justifications for their diligence, even when dishonesty appears to be the more convenient route, ethical virtues will be securely engraved into students due to the more compelling format of the honor code, better preparing them with the proper ways to act in the future.
To deepen this understanding and embracement even further, students should be involved in the development of an honor code as the resulting sense of ownership allows them to evaluate their own ethics. One of the leading motivators for cheating at Health Careers High School is the pressure to remain competitive among their peers. As expressed in Source G, cheating proliferates because students start to feel as if “they’ll be at a disadvantage” or “left behind by not participating” in these dishonest behaviors: Because “‘everyone else’ is cheating,” many students feel as though they “have no choice but to do the same” (Source F). Such feelings fuel a culture that tends to accept certain degrees of cheating as a standard part of success despite its unethical makeup. Consequently, when the majority of a class successfully violates the rules and reaps greater successes, students will often learn from their surroundings, conforming to this behavior and negatively impacting their ethical views. According to Source F, an effective method to address this problem is by “encouraging student involvement in developing community standards on academic dishonesty” which helps to ensure the honor code’s “subsequent acceptance by the larger student community.” Crafting ideas, reflecting on their past actions, and critically thinking about their own morals, students gain a chance to share their thoughts and evaluate themselves without the fear of punishment and may recognize any of their wrongdoings on their own terms, resulting in increased respect and understanding for the idea of honor codes and ethics. Even though this action may not completely alleviate all cases of cheating, exercising students’ ethical mindset and forcing them to think about their actions rather than conforming to a larger population is an important lesson often used throughout the students’ careers, especially in health care. In the future, there is often no clear ethical guide to follow—only the student’s discretion on what’s morally right or wrong. Therefore, top schools like Health Careers must prepare their students for these scenarios by involving them in the reformation of the honor code to ease their transition into a world in which students must establish their own terms of honor.
Overall, honor codes extend far beyond an attempted measure to stop cheating—they serve as a powerful testament to the significance of ethical conduct. Through strategic reforms such as incorporating justifications for the clauses and actively involving students in the amendment process, honor codes can become a potent tool in cultivating moral leaders in the health field. Therefore, I urge Health Careers to not only uphold their existing honor code but also to enhance students’ comprehension through reasoning and active participation. For preventing a student from cheating is temporary, but shaping their mindset reaps benefits that will last a lifetime.
References
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Dirmeyer, Jennifer, and Alexander Cartwright. “Honor Codes Work Where Honesty Has Already Taken Root.” Chronicle of Higher Education. Chronicle of Higher Education, 24 Sept. 2012. Web. 20 March 2013.
Kahn, Chris. “Pssst—How Do Ya Spell Plagiarism? Cheating Scandal Tests Honor Code at U. Va.” Daily Press. Daily Press Media Group, 14 April 2002. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.
Sledge, Sally, and Pam Pringle. “Assessing Honor Code Effectiveness: Results of a Multipronged Approach from a Five Year Study.” Research & Practice in Assessment 5 (2010): 4-12. Web. 20 March 2013.
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McCabe, Donald L., and Linda Klebe Trevino. "Academic Dishonesty: Honor Codes and Other Contextual Influences." Journal of Higher Education, vol. 64, no. 5, Oct. 1993, pp. 522+. Gale Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A14579857/AONE?u=j015915006&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=9d13be63. Accessed 6 Oct. 2023.
