Bioethics Education
The Center for the Study of Bioethics is a nationally recognized innovator and leader in bioethics education. The Center's education activities include a Master of Arts in Bioethics program, a Certificate Program in Clinical Bioethics, a joint Online Fellowship Program in Physician Ethics and Professionalism with the American Medical Association, medical student education in bioethics, continuing education programs for medical, nursing, legal, psychology and social work professionals, and community education programs.
Master of Arts in Bioethics Program
The Center's Master of Arts in Bioethics program, which was launched in 1992 and was among the first of its kind in the country, has set the standard for bioethics education across the nation. Our program provides advanced training for individuals who wish to become prepared for teaching, research, policy development, and/or clinical work in the field of bioethics. The program curriculum consists of an unprecedented combination of theoretical and clinical course offerings that help students develop the skills and understanding necessary to analyze and address the difficult ethical issues encountered in health care today. The program faculty have diverse backgrounds and the campus of the Medical College of Wisconsin offers a rich clinical setting for students to experience.
The Master of Arts in Bioethics can be completed through either a traditional, campus-based curriculum or through an innovative executive-style, web-based curriculum that makes advanced education in bioethics available to individuals in almost any location throughout the world.
Certificate in Clinical Bioethics Program
The Certificate in Clinical Bioethics, which provides a basic introduction to the philosophical, legal, and clinical foundations of health care ethics, is designed to enhance the clinical practice of health professionals or to provide a foundation for further study for professionals and students in any discipline. The program consists of four distance-learning courses all delivered through a web-based format. Graduate credits accumulated in this program may be applied to the Center's traditional or executive-style Master of Arts program.
AMA-MCW Online Fellowship in Physician Ethics and Professionalism
The Online Fellowship in Physician Ethics and Professionalism is jointly offered by the Medical College of Wisconsin's Center for the Study of Bioethics and the American Medical Association's Institute for Ethics. The online fellowship program provides a unique opportunity for physicians on ethics committees, institutional review boards, and privacy boards, or those who want to learn more about applied ethics to expand their knowledge of medical ethics and physician professionalism. The program consists of four distance-learning courses and a five day seminar at the headquarters of the American Medical Association in Chicago, Illinois during the June meeting of the AMA House of Delegates. Graduate credits earned in this program may be applicable to the Center's traditional or executive-style Master of Arts program.
Medical Student, Resident and Fellow Ethics Education
The Bioethics Center directs the ethics education of medical students, residents, and fellows at the Medical College of Wisconsin and its affiliated hospitals. The cornerstone of these efforts is a medical ethics course offered in the second year of medical school. This course provides a solid introduction to the theoretical underpinnings of the discipline of bioethics, as well as specific ethical issues frequently encountered in clinical medicine and palliative care. The Bioethics Center also directs clinical ethics education sessions for third year medical students during the internal medicine and pediatric rotations. In addition, Bioethics Center faculty provide residency ethics education seminars, and they work with individual clinical departments to provide case-based ethics sessions for residents, fellows, and medical staff at MCW-affiliated hospitals.
Continuing and Community Education
Bioethics Center faculty and staff devote much time to providing bioethics education for professional organizations, civic and religious groups, academic institutions, health care organizations, and government and business leaders locally, statewide, and throughout the country. For more information on upcoming educational activities, please see the Calendar of Events.