Partnership: Educational activities of the Bioethics & Professionalism program are conducted in cooperation with medical school faculty from all departments. Formal and informal discussions and seminars in ethics and the humanities provide opportunities for medical students to understand the moral, spiritual and social dimensions of the experience of illness. We believe that working in partnership with physicians and scientists increases our ability to demonstrate the relevance of ethics and the humanities for medical practice.

Clinical Reinforcement: The curriculum in Bioethics & Professionalism emphasizes clinical reinforcement of ethical principles and a humanistic approach to healing. Moral problems in medicine are addressed in the context of ongoing patient care, highlighting the meaningful application of medical ethics for patients, families and their health care providers. Students’ participation in Ethics Grand Rounds and the completion of a third year paper analyzing an ethical problem experienced on a clinical rotation provide additional clinical reinforcement for the humanities.

Core Curriculum: The curriculum in Bioethics & Professionalism provides students with a solid foundation for understanding both theoretical and practical issues associated with the human response to illness, the practice of medicine and professional obligations in patient care. An important focus of the curriculum is attention to ethical decision-making in clinical settings. The core curriculum prepares students for the ethics requirements of the National Board of Medical Examiners.