No they are not. They’re usually performed by volunteers, most commonly EMTs or nurses. A lot of state protocols request that a physician be present to witness and call time of death, but even that’s rare.
The code of ethics in the AMA strictly prohibits physicians from participating in executions.
“A physician must not participate in a legally authorized execution,” the American Medical Association says in its Code of Medical Ethics.
“When physicians participate in capital punishment, they are being utilized to intentionally inflict harm by using their medical knowledge and skills to forcibly cause death,” AMA media relations manager R.J. Mills told NPR. “Physicians who participate in capital punishment take an active role as agents of the state, not as advocates for the condemned, even if their intent is to minimize suffering.”
That sounds nice but ignores mountains of readily available evidence to the contrary. Lethal injections are performed by physicians.
No they are not. They’re usually performed by volunteers, most commonly EMTs or nurses. A lot of state protocols request that a physician be present to witness and call time of death, but even that’s rare.
The code of ethics in the AMA strictly prohibits physicians from participating in executions.