The Daniel W. Foster, M.D., Visiting Lectureship in Medical Ethics (In conjunction with UT Southwestern's Ethics Grand Rounds)

"The Ethical Challenges of Telling Dr. Douglas M. Kelley's Story at Nuremberg"

Jack El-Hai, M.F.A.

Journalist and author of nonfiction books, articles, and essays about medicine, science, history, and crime

Abstract: This lecture explores the ethical terrain surrounding Jack El-Hai's book, The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, which focuses on the work of Dr. Douglas M. Kelley before, during, and after the first Nuremberg trial in 1945-1946. As a psychiatrist tasked with evaluating leading Nazi defendants, Kelley confronted questions of professional duty, empathy, and moral responsibility when evaluating and treating defendants implicated in unprecedented crimes. This talk examines these dilemmas, including dual loyalty, boundary setting, and psychological effect on the physician. It also addresses the ethical difficulties of reconstructing such a story for a contemporary audience: balancing historical accuracy with narrative clarity, respecting the victims while probing perpetrators' minds, and avoiding sensationalism. Finally, this lecture considers the obstacles to adapting this material for the screen in the movie, Nuremberg, where visual storytelling can both illuminate and distort psychiatric and historical truth.

CME

This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ (including medical ethics and/or professional responsibility).

NCPD

UT Southwestern is accredited as a provider of nursing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

This activity has been awarded 1.0 contact hour.

Contact

Ruth Vinciguerra | Email