Ethics

Better Practices

Students talk in a professional development workshop
  • If you are interested in how end-of-life issues affect patients and providers,
  • If you care about eliminating disparities in health care and access,
  • If you want to play a leadership role in influencing change,
  • If you are a self-directed learner and want to take your ethics training further, 

… then this path is for you.

Michigan Medicine clinical care facilities is the perfect training ground for future ethics committee consultants. Our hospital Ethics Committee has an active consultation service with calls coming in 24/7 to see patients with different ethical issues.

The Ethics Path of Excellence is an ideal opportunity for medical students who are interested including ethics in their careers, whether in clinical practice, research, public health, health policy or academics.

Medical students apply to the Ethics Path of Excellence in the winter of their M1 year, and continue their studies through the M4 year. Through this Path, students will learn to:

  • Identify ethical issues in the organization and delivery of health care
  • Implement tools and strategies to address ethical issues
  • Continue professional education and leadership development

Highlights

  • Path-specific small group discussions facilitate debate, which is vital for ethics education.
  • There is specialized training for students who want to serve on ethics committees and/or include ethics as part of an academic career.
  • Opportunities exist for individualized, independent study, combined with field work with the Center for Bioethics and Social Sciences in Medicine, and a Capstone for Impact project.
Capstone for Impact Projects Archive (link is external)

We really want to educate people to be the ethics committee consultants of the future. I think it's pretty unique to have the option of pursuing this extracurricular program because essentially it teaches you leadership skills and how to be a self-directed learner. These are skills you'll really need when you become faculty. Students can take their interest in ethics and pursue it further.

Lauren Smith, M.D., Professor of Pathology and Director of the Ethics Path of Excellence