Steven Miles, MD

Audio clip is forthcoming shortly

Dr. Miles discusses his upbringing in Minnesota and his time at St. Olaf College, where he developed a passion for social justice, feminism, and student activism. Miles describes his medical school experiences at the University of Minnesota and residency at Hennepin County Medical Center where he began his early work on DNR orders, palliative care, and a geriatric medicine specialization.

He discusses his active participation as an expert witness in various court cases and public policy issues that highlighted the importance of applying bioethical principles. He highlighted the Wanglie case, where he testified against providing non-beneficial therapy to a terminally ill patient, leading to a court ruling that there was no obligation to do so. Other cases discussed include the excessive use of restraints in nursing homes, execution methods as capital punishment, force-feeding prisoners in the War on Terror, and the prescription of cyanide to Special Forces. Miles criticizes the medical ethics community for focusing on expensive, highly specialized medical developments while neglecting more common problems, such as unsafe conditions in nursing homes, “dumping” patients (EMTALA statute), and medical inequality.

Dr. Miles shares his research on the Abu Ghraib scandal during the Iraq War, which involved analyzing nearly 100,000 government documents to trace how medical staff participated in torture and interrogations. Miles’ work led to the publication of Oath Betrayed, detailing the U.S. torture program, and The Torture Doctors, highlighting international medical complicity in torture. He emphasized the need for accountability and the failure of the World Medical Association to address these issues. Miles also shared his experiences in Sudan and Cuba advocating for ethical practices in war and healthcare.