Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The complex ethical dilemmas created by advanced technological medicine and problematic doctor-patient relationships have lead to an increasing interest in medical ethics education since the 1980's. The Medical School of the University of Pretoria has embarked on a new undergraduate medical curriculum in 1997. Ethics is educated in a longitudinal fashion over the six years of the medical curriculum and has focussed largely on the principal-based approach as described by Beauchamp and Childress. The research participants were the first final year class of this new curriculum, while the facilitators were medical educators or philosophers. The major finding was that the students were not yet able to identify ethical dilemmas with ease, although they were successful in the application of the principal-based approach to the vignettes of the study. The students did not cope well with the uncertainty created by ethical dilemmas and sought to solve the situation by creating boundaries provided by medical law. Therecommendations of the study are that the theoretical component of the ethics curriculum should: 1) include more approaches to ethics, than only the principal-based approach; 2) address daily experienced ethical dilemmas during the study years in small group discussions; 3) and implement a portfolio assessment which can serve as a tool for students to track their own development in reflection on ethical dilemmas. In conclusion, the question remains whether we are currently ready to come ""face to face" with the "other" as Levinas argues or are we still divided into "only two classes of mankind in the world - doctors and patients" as remarked by Kipling in the 19th century. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die komplekse etiese dilemmas, veroorsaak deur hoogs gespesialiseerde tegnologiese medisyne en die problematiese dokter-pasiënt verhouding, het gelei tot 'n verhoogde belangstelling in mediese etiekonderrig sedert die 1980's. Die Mediese Skool van die Universiteit van Pretoria het in 1997 'n nuwe voorgraadse mediese kurrikulum geïmplimenteer. Etiek is op 'n longitudinale manier onderrig oor ses jaar in die mediese kurrikulum en het gefokus op die beginsel-benadering soos beskryf deur Beauchamp en Childress. Die navorsingsdeelnemers was die eerste finale-jaar klas van die nuwe kurrikulum, terwyl die fasiliteerders mediese dosente of filosowe was. Die hoofbevinding van die kurrikulum was dat die studente nie die etiese dilemmas met gemak kon identifiseer nie, alhowel hulle suksesvol die beginsel-benadering kon toepas op die gevallestudies. Die studente hanteer nie onsekerheid, veroorsaak deur die etiese dilemmas, met gemak nie en probeer om die saak op te los deur die skep van grense verskaf deur mediese reg. Die aanbevelings van die studie is dat die teoretiese komponent van die etiekkurrikulum die volgende moet bevat: 1) bekendstelling aan meerdere benaderings tot die etiek, bo en behalwe die beginsel-gebaseerde benadering; 2) aanspreek van die daaglikse etiese dilemmas gedurende die studiejare in kleingroepbesprekings; 3) en die implementering van 'n portfolio-evaluasie, wat kan dien as 'n instrument vir die studente om hul eie ontwikkeling aangaande nadenke oor etiese dilemmas na te gaan. Opsommend, die vraag is steeds of ons tans gereed is om "aangesig-tot-aangesig" te verkeer met die "ander" soos Levinas redeneer of is ons steeds verdeel in "slegs twee klasse van menswees in die wêreld - dokters en pasiënte" soos opgemerk deur Kipling in die 19deeeu.