A new survey of medical-school deans finds that unprofessional conduct on blogs and social

-networking sites is increasing among medical students. Although med students fully understand patient-confidentiality laws and are indoctrinated in the high ethical standards to which their white-coated profession is held, many of them still use Internet to make discriminatory statements and discuss patient cases in violation of confidentiality laws, according to the survey.

We assumed that students were "educated about professional conduct online and used better judgment." But medical students, it seems, are no different from the rest of us when it comes to posting drunken party pictures online or tweeting about their daily comings, goings and musings — however inappropriate they may be. Many students feel they are entitled to post what they wish on their personal profiles, maintaining that the information is in fact personal and not subject to the same policies and guidelines that govern their professional behavior. on campus. Though medical students would agree that physicians — and other professionals, like teachers — should be held to a higher standard of integrity by society, the new study suggests that they're confused by how rules apply, especially in cyberspace, once the white coat comes off. "They think it's something only for their friends, even though it's not private." says Dr. Neil Parker, senior associate dean for student affairs for graduate medical education at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine.

That attitude is largely dictated by age, says Parker. In focus groups involving students, faculty, administrators and staff, the school has found a clear generational divide between those who tend to blur the line between their personal and professional lives and those who don't. Younger students were more likely than older staff members to believe that their thoughts and opinions were valid to post online, regardless of their potentially damaging or discriminatory impact on others.

The issue is especially relevant when it comes to discussing patient cases. Laws prohibit doctors from talking about patients using individually identifiable information. However, as Parker notes, sharing patient care experiences can be a useful and powerful learning tool for medical students that encourages "reflection, empathy and understanding," he writes in the paper. Although discussing their experiences online may be allowed, students must be made aware that identifying information is not limited to patients' names and that divulging other characteristics and details often violates patient-privacy laws.

It's that type of education that medical schools need to include more in their curricula. Ensuring that students are aware of privacy settings on social-networking sites is another. "Most students want us to provide them with education and guidelines, but not policies. It is a different culture; we always say we have to be culture-sensitive to our patients, but we have to be culture-sensitive to our students as well." Parker says.

What is true according to the survey？

A．Many medical students treat patients unjustly.

B．Lots of medical staff violates confidentiality laws on the Internet.

C．Many medical students fail to hold high professional standard.

D．Patients' privacy needs to be protected badly.