Ethics Track

Goals, Objectives, & Outcome

Goals:

This 12-month track, a collaboration between Emory University School of Medicine and the Emory University Center for Ethics, will provide residents and fellows with foundational knowledge and skills to 1) prepare for in-depth contributions to healthcare system ethics committees and ethics consultation services and 2) utilize ethical thinking in clinical care, teaching and scholarship.

Learning Objectives:

1. To acquire basic knowledge about ethical theories as a basis for action
2. To identify ethical issues in clinical care and develop initial skills for addressing them, including experience with ethics infrastructure in healthcare systems
3. To utilize ethics analytical skills to address an issue in your clinical specialty/department

Outcome:

Upon completion of the track, residents will be awarded a certificate of distinction in Ethics from Emory University School of Medicine.

Components:

• Core Curriculum
  • Ethics Course - Participation in and engaged learning curriculum with 6 two-hour, monthly sessions over the Fall and early Winter.
  • Healthcare Ethics Conference - Two-day Emory Healthcare Ethics conference in Spring, with interdisciplinary participants throughout the Southeast.
  • Small Group implementation sessions - periodic, hour-long small group check-in sessions
• Experiential Learning
  • Committee Membership
    • Opportunities to participate in one of the Emory Healthcare or affiliated ethics committees
  • Teaching Experience
    • Participate in one or more teaching opportunities – e.g., ethics sessions for medical students in the participant’s specialty; ethics selective during medical school capstone; conference poster session
  • Capstone Presentation or project
    • Present an in-depth lecture by the participant on a topic of interest; or:
    • Prepare an Ethics project for implementation in a clinical site
      • IRB-reviewed clinical ethics research project; educational or quality improvement project
    • Present an abstract of project/research at Emory Healthcare Ethics Conference subsequent year; possible poster presentation at professional specialty conference
  • Mentorship
    • Faculty mentors from the Emory Center for Ethics and the participant’s department

Session Topics:

Application Process

1. Submit a statement indicating your interest in ethics and the ethics track.  Please include information about past training in ethics, as well as ethics scholarship or research experience, and your particular area(s) of ethics interest.  The statement should confirm that the residency program director is in full support of participation and that you can commit to attending ALL curriculum sessions and the two-day conference.   Please include full title, year in residency, your contact information and residency program director’s contact information.  The statement should be a maximum of 2 pages.
2. Have your residency director submit a brief letter of support indicating support for your participation and his/her understanding that you will attend all required curriculum sessions, including the two-day conference.

Each year, please submit your application to Kathy Kinlaw, MDiv no later than May 30 for consideration in the cohort starting in July.

• Track Announcement
• Topics to Be Covered

Joseph Schertzer - Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, PGY 3

Maansi Malhotra - Pediatrics, PGY 2

Rahul Nayak - Hematology and Medical Oncology

Robin Rolader - Dermatology, PGY 4

Zach Barbara -  Pediatrics (Critical Care), PGY 4

• Katie Weisshapel – Pediatrics/Medical Genetics, PGY 2 
• Emelin Garcia Nieto – Pediatrics, PGY 3 
• Emma Kofmehl – Internal Medicine, PGY 2 
• Kathleen Metz – Emergency Medicine, PGY 2 
• Cheryl Augenstein – Pulmonary and Critical Care, PGY 5
• Tyler Halle – Otolaryngology, PGY 5 

• Chase Kwon, MD, Dermatology, PGY-3
• James Iwamoto, MD, Pediatrics, PGY-2
• Megan Ververis, MD, Pediatrics, PGY-2
• Juno Lee, MD, Otolaryngology, PGY-3
• Nitya Nair, MD, Neonatology, PGY-5

• Anna Kate Moen, MD, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellow, PGY-4
• Cristen Cain, MD, Anesthesiology PGY-2
• Claudia Ocampo, MD, Pediatrics PGY-1
• Shan Elahi, MD, Internal Medicine/Psychiatry PGY-3

• Ashley Miniet, MD, Pediatrics 
• James Yoon, MD, Internal Medicine