Questions Over Ethics

In a year when the University's attention has been focused on heightening students' commitment to ethics, events and disclosures at the Harvard Medical School have called into question the school's commitment to high ethical standards.

The disclosure of a new Med School plan linking industry with academia raised questions in the fall concerning the school's ethical standards, and the actions of two of the school's members furthered damaged the Med School's credibility in the area of ethics.

In September, the Med School unveiled a plan that would would blend medical research with private-sector profit. The program--which the school has begun implementing--created a $30 million dollar venture capital program that would market the discoveries of faculty members through a network of affiliated companies.

At the time, many professors raised ethical issues, questioning the role of industry in academia and expressing concern that doctors would exploit patients for personal profit.

"There's a difference between a scientist and a clinician," said Professor of Pediatrics David G. Nathan. "A clinician doing commercial research cannot be a significant stockholder in a small company because a clinician is using his patient as his investigative subject."

Questions concerning industry's role in academia took center stage at the Med School when it was disclosed that Sheffer C.G. Tseng, an ophthalmology fellow, had apparently acted unethically in his research. Tseng was found by the University to have exaggerated results of his experiments on a vitamin A treatment for dry-eye disease while owning substantial stock in the company that manufactures the drug.

A committee assigned by Med School Dean Daniel C. Tosteson '44 to investigate the incident found that Tseng was "improperly" supervised during his research. His supervisor, Associate Professor Kenneth R. Kenyon, also held stock in the company selling the drug.

"Such episodes threaten the public trust and integrity of medical research," said Tosteson in a letter printed in November, after the case was publicized. "I hope that knowing that an episode of this kind can happen will help us to dedicate ourselves anew to the highest standards of conduct."

But only days later the academic integrity of the Med School was called into question as the head of the Department of Psychology resigned his post after having been exposed for committing plagiarism earlier in his career.

When Dr. Shervert H. Frazier, who also served as director of the Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital, resigned his post last fall after admitting that he had plagiarized 15 to 20 years ago, some professors said he had been judged too harshly.

A University of Rochester graduate student uncovered articles by a professor from which Frazier had copied "substantial portions," according to the findings of the University's Faculty Conduct Committee.

Frazier rehired

But despite the gravity of the plagiarism charges, many professors said the University had ignored Frazier's accomplishments and long years of service when it hastily accepted his resignation. Only three months later, the hospital reinstated Frazier as a staff psychiatrist and "psychiatrist-in-chief, emeritus," but not to either of his former positions.

"The action taken by the Board of Trustees expresses appropriate respect and gratitude for Dr. Frazier's many years of service," said Tosteson.

But many observers said the rehiring indicated that the Med School was not serious about enforcing an ethics code. "As far as I'm concerned, the Harvard Medical School has been tarnished," said one observer.