This document introduces the topic of bioethics and discusses some of the ethical issues that arise in medical research and practice. It defines bioethics as the ethics of medical and biological research. Some example issues discussed include when painful medical research on humans or animals is allowed, physician obligations to patients vs society, who decides who lives or dies when resources are limited, and determining patient decision-making capacity. The document explores how literature like "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" can raise analogous questions about individual sacrifice vs social benefit. It also discusses the concepts of moral distress in health professionals, and the relationship between care, treatment, harm and benefit in medical ethics.