In most countries, including the UK, there is no obligation for any member of the public, including a medical student, to provide emergency assistance in any situation. You can decide to intervene and help if you are confident and feel your own personal safety won’t be at risk. When you become a fully qualified doctor, there is an ethical duty to administer life-saving care if you can, but there is still no legal obligation.

Doctors registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) do have an ethical duty to offer help in an emergency 'taking account of their own safety, competence and the availability of other options for care’. The guidance provided by the GMC for medical students says ‘before helping in an emergency you should take account of your own safety. You should consider whether you are competent to act and feel able to offer assistance or decide whether it is better to try to access help for a person in distress'. You can find out more by visiting the GMC website.

Medical students are expected to act ethically and with compassion, but always within the parameters of their training and the limits of their competence. Ways in which you could help include:

calling the emergency services
providing basic first aid if trained.

But remember to:

identify yourself accurately, making it clear that you are not a qualified doctor
if the person is conscious, ask for their consent and respect if they decline
avoid undertaking any procedures beyond your level of competence
give your details to the emergency services, in case they need to contact you later
write a factual account of events, what you saw and did, whilst it is fresh in your mind, in case you are asked for that later
MDU members are welcome to call our advice Line to talk with an adviser, particularly if you have any worries.

Guidance for a medical student abroad

If you are going abroad on elective, make sure you have adequate indemnity for clinical work while you are away. When you’ve decided on your destination, log in to My membership and complete the elective indemnity form. If you need any help or are having issues you can contact us.

Whether you are travelling during your elective, or just on holiday, you might come across a clinical emergency, accident or disaster overseas that could not have been anticipated, when you are only a bystander.

What to do if you encounter a medical emergency abroad:

ensure the scene is safe before you enter and administer aid
call the local emergency services or have someone do this for you (it might be worth getting the local emergency number on your phone)
identify yourself as a medical student at the earliest opportunity
offer help but only within your training, competence and confidence level
follow instructions from local healthcare professionals or emergency responders if they arrive, but do not perform procedures for which you are not trained.

Assisting in an emergency can save lives, and fears of the medico-legal consequences should not deter you.

Social media

In our increasingly digitally-focused world, you may have reservations about intervening in a medical emergency for fear of being recorded and posted online. This is an understandable fear; however, it should not be a barrier to administering life-saving aid, as you may be the most qualified person to offer help. Smartphones and social media are a part of modern life, and any footage of you acting in good faith to administer aid to someone in need should not reflect negatively on your future career.

Good Samaritan acts abroad

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