Three Reasons Why Med Students Should Take Law Courses

Medical school and law school. Most people think of these two demanding courses of study as different and largely unrelated paths. However, the truth is that these fields are increasingly interlinked. In fact, medical students who also study law are uniquely positioned to navigate the challenges of today’s complex healthcare landscape. Let’s take a closer look at three ways in which medical students can benefit from law studies, along with some things to keep in mind if you’re wondering whether a joint degree program is right for you.

1. Law studies offer enhanced awareness of health policies.
While medical students have plenty to learn about anatomy, physiology, chemistry, and other clinical topics, these things don’t exist in a vacuum. Rather, they exist within the very real and very relevant context of health care policy. This relationship is hardly something new. In fact, an Academic Medicine article dating all the way back to 1995 determined that “familiarity with jurisprudence helps physicians practice medicine well, collaborate productively with lawyers, and be more effective in public discourse about health care delivery.”

In order to truly understand the “big picture” of contemporary medicine, a basic understanding of health policy is also required. From issues pertaining to everything from intellectual property to medical malpractice issues, legal factors can make or break a patient’s healthcare experience. And while we often think of law as impeding medicine, it can also be used to improve it -- with access to the right information, that is.

2. Law studies help physicians better understand and address ethical questions.
While medicine can solve many problems, it cannot on its own behave ethically. And while the Hippocratic Oath holds physicians to a specific standard of ethical behavior, the underlying issues are far from black and white. Navigating these questions of ethics can be vexing to physicians who lack the tools to manage ethical dilemmas pertaining to issues such as confidentiality, communication and cultural relativism.

Not only that, but advancements in science, technology and medical research trigger new issues and ethical considerations every day. While these topics are complex, an understanding of the law and ethics can inform the decision-making process for today’s physicians.

3. Law studies can support the doctor-patient relationship.
Patients are more than their illnesses and conditions, and a doctor’s job is far from done when a diagnosis is conferred. In order to truly promote their patients’ best interests, physicians must become more than their doctors; they must also become their advocates.

While medical studies enable doctors to treat disease, law studies allow them to do so within the larger context of serving as true patient advocates with the ability to do everything from overcoming barriers to facilitating optimal outcomes.

Are Law Studies in Your Future as a Medical Student?

Given our increasing understanding of the reciprocal relationship between law and medicine, it makes sense that more medical schools are offering cross-disciplinary programs aimed at helping prepare medical and law students alike for the emerging legal issues of today and tomorrow. In the most basic sense, this involves integrating law studies into the medical school curriculum.

Those looking for more comprehensive educations in medicine and law, meanwhile, can take advantage of a growing crop of programs which offer students the opportunity to earn joint degrees in law and medicine. And while most MD/JD dual degree grads don’t end up practicing in both professions, they do graduate with a rare and invaluable perspective on healthcare, public policy, and hospital administration. Ultimately, the question of whether this path is right for you lies in your goals. While practicing medicine doesn’t mandate the acquisition of a JD, joint degrees can be of great use for those aiming to work in government and policy, as part of a hospital’s executive team, or as a lawyer with a focus on medical issues.

One last thing to keep in mind? No one goes to medical school assuming it will be easy. In fact, it’s one of the most notoriously difficult academic pathways. Factor in the known rigors of law school, and the merger of the two can be a particularly intensive course of study. However, it’s also one which corresponds with profound opportunities -- not just for professional advancement, but also in terms of the potential to make a true impact on society.