[Skip to main content](#main-content)
Mar 2025
[Regret in the Moral Psychology of Surgical Professionalism](/issue/regret-moral-psychology-surgical-professionalism)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Along a physician’s training path to becoming a surgeon, there are few, if any, formal or structured opportunities to reflect upon regret experiences. But the influences regret can have in surgeons’ practices is worth considering, given that some patients suffer poor outcomes despite surgeons’ long-term training, sound decision-making, competent practice, best efforts, and good intentions. This theme issue investigates regret as an expression of a surgeon’s moral psychological development and their deep internalization of their capacity to harm. This theme issue also considers how we should regard regret and its kindred moral emotions—loss, grief, remorse, shame, guilt—in surgical life, training, and practice.
> _Background image by Sara Gironi Carnevale._
Volume 27, Number 3: E167-236
[Read the Issue](/issue/regret-moral-psychology-surgical-professionalism)
[](/article/how-might-use-shared-decision-making-patient-mitigate-surgeon-regret-circumstances-poor-outcome-not/2025-03)
Medicine and Society
Mar 2025
[How Might the Use of Shared Decision-Making With a Patient Mitigate Surgeon Regret in Circumstances of a Poor Outcome Not Due to Error?](/article/how-might-use-shared-decision-making-patient-mitigate-surgeon-regret-circumstances-poor-outcome-not/2025-03)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Josh Sommovilla, MD
[](/article/what-are-organizations-responsibilities-when-surgeons-experience-regret/2025-03)
Medicine and Society
Mar 2025
[What Are Organizations’ Responsibilities When Surgeons Experience Regret?](/article/what-are-organizations-responsibilities-when-surgeons-experience-regret/2025-03)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amy E. Vertrees, MD and Matthew R. Endara, MD
[](/article/how-should-we-understand-regret-moral-psychological-experience-can-influence-clinical-decision/2025-03)
Medicine and Society
Mar 2025
[How Should We Understand Regret as a Moral Psychological Experience That Can Influence Clinical Decision-Making?](/article/how-should-we-understand-regret-moral-psychological-experience-can-influence-clinical-decision/2025-03)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sarah L. Spaulding and Katherine Fischkoff, MD
[](/article/how-should-senior-surgeons-help-junior-colleagues-and-trainees-experiencing-regret/2025-03)
Case and Commentary
Mar 2025
[How Should Senior Surgeons Help Junior Colleagues and Trainees Experiencing Regret?](/article/how-should-senior-surgeons-help-junior-colleagues-and-trainees-experiencing-regret/2025-03)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carlie Arbaugh, MD, MS and Kimberly E. Kopecky, MD, MS
[View all Cases](/cases "View all Cases")
From the Archive
================
* [](/article/what-constitutes-effective-team-communication-after-error/2020-04)
Case and Commentary
[What Constitutes Effective Team Communication After an Error?](/article/what-constitutes-effective-team-communication-after-error/2020-04)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William M. Hart, MD, Patricia Doerr, MD, Yuxiao Qian, MD, and Peggy M. McNaull, MD
* [](/article/wheres-value-preoperative-covenants-between-surgeons-and-patients/2021-10)
Medicine and Society
[Where’s the Value in Preoperative Covenants Between Surgeons and Patients?](/article/wheres-value-preoperative-covenants-between-surgeons-and-patients/2021-10)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Ledbetter and Buddy Marterre, MD, MDiv
* [](/article/should-we-rely-ai-help-avoid-bias-patient-selection-major-surgery/2022-08)
Medicine and Society
[Should We Rely on AI to Help Avoid Bias in Patient Selection for Major Surgery?](/article/should-we-rely-ai-help-avoid-bias-patient-selection-major-surgery/2022-08)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charles E. Binkley, MD, David S. Kemp, JD, and Brandi Braud Scully, MD, MS
* [](/article/when-patient-regrets-having-undergone-carefully-and-jointly-considered-treatment-plan-how-should-her/2020-05)
Case and Commentary
[When a Patient Regrets Having Undergone a Carefully and Jointly Considered Treatment Plan, How Should Her Physician Respond?](/article/when-patient-regrets-having-undergone-carefully-and-jointly-considered-treatment-plan-how-should-her/2020-05)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Luke V. Selby, MD, MS, Christopher T. Aquina, MD, MPH, and Timothy M. Pawlik, MD, PhD, MPH, MTS
About the Journal
=================
Our editorial mission is to help medical students, physicians, and all health care professionals make sound ethical decisions in service to patients and society. Founded in 1999, the _AMA Journal of Ethics_ explores ethical questions and challenges that students and clinicians confront in their educational and practice careers.
[Learn More](https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/about)
Upcoming Themes
---------------
* Apr 2025 Surgical Care of Incarcerated Patients
* May 2025 Private Equity in Health Care
* Jun 2025 Embodiment in Art Practice
* Jul 2025 Rural US Emergency Medical Services
* Aug 2025 Existential Health Care Ethics
* Sep 2025 Screening Children for Structural Drivers of Health
* ### Conley Contest Winners
Peruse past winners of our art and essay contests.
[Winners](https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/john-conley-contest-winners "alt")
* ### Art Institute of Chicago Collaboration
Art on ethics in health care.
[Learn more](https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/art-institute-chicago "alt")
* ### Call for Editorial Fellows
Work with us to create a theme issue!
[Learn More](https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/call-editorial-fellows "alt")
* ### Call for Papers
Submit a manuscript for peer review consideration.
[Upcoming Themes](https://joe-prod.ama-assn.org/call-papers-0 "alt")