For the second year in a row Susanne Raab and Brenda Osmond are teaching the course in Medical Negligence Law as adjunct professors at the University of British Columbia. Representing patients who have been injured as a result of medical negligence is the only work we do at Pacific Medical Law and we are excited to share our knowledge and experience with the students.
This year, over 20 second and third year law students are registered in the course, which walks students through issues of professional negligence concerning physicians, other health care professionals and hospitals. The classes focus on helping students develop an understanding of the components of a medical malpractice action. It focuses on issues of the doctor-patient relationship, consent, standard of care, and causation, and explores practical issues that arise in medical malpractice actions including the nature and function of expert witnesses, the use of documentation and difficulties of proof. At the end of the course, students write a comprehensive exam to demonstrate their ability to identify legal issues relating to physicians, other health care professionals and hospitals.
Although some of the students in the class have a background in health care, most enroll to broaden their exposure to different areas of the law. Given we are one of the very few law firms in Canada that practices exclusively in the field of plaintiff medical malpractice and birth injury, Susanne and Brenda are happy to share their expertise with law students. Our goal in teaching the course is to provide the students with some insight into this unique and specialized area of practice, and maybe even inspire future medical negligence lawyers!
