Making Ethics Education Matter: A Novel Approach for Enhancing Ethics Education in a Medical School

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. Basic instruction in medical ethics has been viewed as an important component of medical education for more than three decades. However, the logistics of determining when and how such education should occur have proven to be complicated. The authors review past and current postulates regarding bioethics education in medical schools. They then discuss the use of a novel, longitudinal curricular that is designed to strengthen recognition, discernment, and resolution of ethical problems throughout medical training. The model provides both in person and on-line instruction, as well as the option for medical students to obtain a Bioethics Certificate. Quotes from students are used to shed light on the ethical journey that medical students undertake and their enthusiasm for innovative coursework that prepares them for the moral challenges that accompany the provision of healthcare.