I have read your article titled, "Physician-assisted suicide isn't right for doctors." Don't change the AMA's position." In this piece, you express your viewpoint on a topic for which I do not have a complete answer, but one that needs discussion. In it, you show your disapproval of physician-assisted suicide, stating that it is "dangerous, unnecessary, and will permanently damage the integrity of public trust in the health professions and the health care system [1]. I'm writing this letter from the perspective of an undergraduate student with aspirations to become a physician. I hope to initiate a dialogue that enhances our comprehension of the topic to see if it is that simple answer. Physician-assisted suicide (PAS),…show more content… PAS is often confused with euthanasia, but they are different. In PAS, the patient self-administers the lethal medication, whereas in euthanasia, the physician administers it. I agree that when considering whether a mental health condition is worth PAS treatment, it is easy to enter a slippery slope scenario where many different severities of mental health conditions all receive PAS. This scenario is especially true for mental health compared to physical health. For example, depression is arguably a mental state that is very human. The vast majority of people have had depression symptoms or depressive episodes that may last a couple of hours to several years. Another group of patients that may be affected is the elderly. If PAS is allowed, what should physicians say to the elderly, who may not have a terminal illness or mental health condition but are purely running out of time and are overall unhealthy? If their quality of life is affected to the same degree as is more commonly said about terminal illnesses like cancer, will physicians have the right to deny them PAS? For these reasons, making a rule that includes some conditions but excludes others is challenging. You are also correct to say that incorporating assisted suicide will affect…show more content… Doctors who know that PAS is an option may put less effort into treating a patient. They may also advocate for PAS and persuade patients and their families to agree to PAS when they otherwise would not have. Lastly, you mention that with time, there may be societal pressure or expectation on doctors to do PAS for patients who request it. Given doctors’ rising expectations of treatment, I agree this is a possibility. An example that comes to mind is when individuals seek prescriptions for Ozempic for weight loss purposes not initially intended for. There are points, however, that I would encourage you to reconsider. The first is your statement that PAS is not medical care, nor is it based on medical science or medical tradition. Instead, consider it a purely ethical problem and that killing is never a doctor's job. However, medicine prioritizes the patient’s health and wishes. For example, it may not be best for a patient to remain alive and suffer in a terminally ill condition with no known treatment or cure. You may then ask, "What if a patient wants to die when there is known treatment or a chance for better outcomes?" In these instances, the physician needs to educate the patient as much as possible and, again, decide based on
