STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Swedish officials said a convicted murderer's admission to medical school sparked debate about whether a medical license can be denied over a criminal past.
The Swedish Medical Society said it investigated the matter on behalf of the government and concluded that a patient's confidence in the Swedish medical system must be the top priority, but the individual's legal rights must also be taken into consideration, The Local reported Friday.
"The question of whether or not to accept or reject a student due to certain circumstances like a serious crime which makes him/her unsuitable for the profession, is a very serious issue for us, and is being assessed on an ethical basis as well as looking at it from a patient's perspective," Peter Aspelin, chairman of the society, and Niels Lynoe, head of the committee for medical ethics, said in a letter to the Ministry for Higher Education and Research.
The minsitry is giving the matter further consideration.
The questions arose from the revelation that a man admitted to the Karolinska Institute in 2007 had been convicted on a hate murder charge seven years prior. The school said it was unaware of the man's criminal record at the time of his admission and he remains a student.
