Ethics Pathway

Goal

To encourage medical students to utilize personalized, professional reflection and exercises in order to develop an individualized approach for working out real-life ethical situations in clinical settings. This pathway will supplement the existing clinical ethics exposure and training by educating students on a wide array of principles and methodologies for bioethical analysis and fostering the skills necessary to engage in rational and thoughtful bioethical discourse.

Overview

The pathway will consist of a one semester case-based class to be completed in the first two years of medical school, with a capstone project. There will be periodic lectures during the duration of the student's time in the pathway, and the ability to facilitate and participate in classes in the following years. The course will focus on a different theme each year, beginning with neuroethics with a focus on brain death (proposed future topics include end of life decision making and advance care planning; maternal, fetal, and perinatal ethics; health disparities; public health ethics; and genetics and genomics). The overall content will emphasize analytical skills and collaborative discussion, and familiarize students with the place of bioethics in the context of medicine, history, philosophy, law, and policy.

Evaluation

Attendance will be taken at all sessions, as well as all eligible ethics events that students may participate in for duration of their program. Students and participating faculty will be asked to evaluate the course yearly.

Timeline

The course will begin in Fall 2016, with sessions twice per month, totaling 8 sessions.