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Biomedical Ethics Concentration

for MD and MD-PhD Students

The Biomedical Ethics Concentration (BEC) is intended to provide a substantial overview of the crucial and fascinating field of bioethics over the course of a student’s time at Yale, in greater depth and with greater exposure than that experienced by most medical students.

While this may be of interest to anyone pursuing a career in medicine, it will be of particular value to those considering a focus on bioethics in their future work, whether in education, clinical practice, government, or advocacy.

Class Level

First- or second-year MD and MD-PhD students are eligible to enroll. Students must enroll by October 15 of their second year of medical school, though enrolling in the first year is recommended to ensure ample time to complete the requirements.

Requirements

To receive course credit for completion of the BEC, students must complete the following elements prior to graduation:

Academic Components

  1. Evening Ethics Seminars: These 90-minute sessions are generally held twice monthly, September through May, during the dinner hour with dinner provided. They include a didactic talk by a visiting scholar or a member of the Yale faculty, followed by a 45-minute discussion. These sessions provide a rich exposure to a wide variety of topics in bioethics and are open to all members of the Yale community and the public. Students enrolled in the BEC must attend a minimum of 20 evening ethics seminars over the course of their time at Yale though attendance at YNHH Ethics Committee meetings may be substituted for up to four of the evening ethics seminars.
  2. BEC meetings: There will be three required dinner meetings per academic year for students in the BEC, which will include discussion of a contemporary topic in bioethics. These will be led by a faculty member in the Program for Biomedical Ethics, along with one or more students participating in the BEC.
  3. Bioethics Interest Group: This is a student-led gathering of Medical, Nursing, Physician Associate, and Public Health students held once per month in the evening, September through May. These sessions provide a rare opportunity to discuss issues in bioethics informally with a guest member of the faculty in a multidisciplinary setting. Students enrolled in the BEC must attend five of these sessions during their time at Yale.
  4. Bioethics Elective: This two-week course is offered each winter, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A small group of students meets daily with different faculty members to strengthen their foundational knowledge of the field and explore specific topics and areas of bioethics, such as ethical issues in obstetrics, emergency medicine, pediatrics, patients’ rights, public health, policy development, clinical consultations, and many others. The elective includes twenty 90-minute seminars, structured as small group discussions, limited to MD and PA students. Course enrollment is limited to provide a small seminar experience, and preference for enrollment will go to students participating in the BEC, who are required to complete this elective.

Biomedical Ethics Practicum

Clinical ethics consults are an important service provided to the patients and staff at Yale-New Haven Hospital by the Adult and Pediatric Ethics Committee. Consults are generally requested when there is a difficult ethical question related to care options and/or when there is disagreement among patients, families, and health care providers regarding the appropriate course of action. The consults may be provided by an individual ethics consultant, a small group, or a larger committee, depending on the specifics of the case at hand.

Students enrolled in the BEC must attend at least three consults with either the adult or pediatric ethics committee, and participate in documentation of the encounter as directed by the consult lead. Student participation in ethics consults will be coordinated by the concentration director with the chairs of the two hospital ethics committees. In general, participation will take place during or after the clerkship year.

Biomedical Ethics Scholarly Project

Students enrolled in the BEC will complete at least one scholarly project related to biomedical ethics under the guidance of a member of the faculty. This may be a paper intended for publication, a reflective piece on any aspect of bioethics, such as a topic of specific interest to the student, or a reflection on a clinical case or consultation. Scholarly projects will be approved and coordinated by the BEC director or their designee.

Biomedical Ethics Concentration Leadership