The 2nd Annual Harvard Ethics Consultation Skills Course
The Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics is excited to be offering the 2nd annual Harvard Ethics Consultation Skills course, a one-of-a-kind immersive course aimed at providing attendees with practical skills in performing ethics consultations.
This program, led by clinical ethics faculty from Harvard-affiliated hospitals, will provide practical, hands-on skills training and practice in conducting healthcare ethics consults. Intended for those new to performing ethics consultation, the course will utilize a flipped-classroom model and provide attendees opportunities to improve their skills in such activities as developing the consult question, communicating with consult stakeholders, leading team meetings, and documentation of ethics consults.
Registration is closed. We are not accepting late registrations.
If you're interested in learning about next year's course, join this email list. Please note: signing up for this email list does not constitute as course registration.
2023 Course Dates
Participants are expected to attend all four sessions and will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course. All times are Eastern Standard Time.
Virtual: Wednesday, May 31, 2023, 4-7 p.m.
Virtual: Wednesday, June 7, 2023, 4-7 p.m.
Virtual: Wednesday, June 14, 2023, 4-7 p.m.
In-Person: Friday, June 23, 2023, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Harvard Medical School campus in Boston, MA
Course Directors and Agenda
This year's course directors are Jonathan Marron, MD, MPH, Director of Clinical Ethics, Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics; and Leanne Homan, RN, BSN, MBE, Associate Director of Clinical Ethics, Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics.
Course Overview
This course integrates both virtual and in-person components to provide attendees with practical, hands-on training and the skills necessary to perform healthcare ethics consultations at a high level. Led by faculty from Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals and the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics, the course provides learners with skills and practice in all aspects of healthcare ethics consultation: from developing an ethics question to leading a meeting of stakeholders to documenting the consult, and everything in between.
The course consists of three virtual sessions (May 31, June 7, and June 14) and a full-day in-person session in Boston (June 23). A "flipped classroom" model will be utilized, in which attendees will be given readings and other preparatory materials to complete prior to the course sessions, allowing for maximal engagement with faculty and fellow attendees during the virtual and in-person course sessions. During the virtual sessions, attendees will hone their skills in all components of ethics consultation, utilizing various engaging modalities including mini-didactic sessions, small group discussions, role-playing, and partnered problem-solving. The in-person session will provide a capstone experience for participants in which they can practice the skills they have developed throughout the course in a series of mock ethics consultation activities. The in-person session also will include opportunities for connecting and networking with course attendees and faculty, special interest group meetings, and a keynote lecture by Thomas V. Cunningham, PhD, MA, MS, Bioethics Director at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles Medical Center, a renowned expert in clinical ethics.
Course Objectives
Following the completion of this course, participants should be able to:
Understand the ethical assessment and analysis of an ethics consult and practice applying the relevant knowledge to a case study.
Identify and practice the process skills necessary for conducting the different components of an ethics consultation.
Recognize key publications and guidances in the field of clinical ethics and how to apply these to real-life ethics consultation.
Apply interpersonal skills to various modes of ethical deliberation using simulation-based learning.
Who Should Attend
Individuals who participate (or expect soon to participate) in ethics committees and/or ethics consultations who wish to hone their skills in all aspects of ethics consultation
Those who wish to gain hands-on, personalized training with seasoned healthcare ethics consultants
Anyone who has received prior introduction to clinical ethics but wishes to acquire further expertise in ethics consultation, including such areas as fielding the ethics intake, formulating the ethics question, identifying relevant stakeholders, leading team meetings, performing ethical analysis, and ethics documentation
What Previous Attendees Have Said
"The boots-on-the-ground experience of the faculty was so beneficial."
"This provided very helpful foundational knowledge as well as additional areas of practice to study in my own time."
"The combination of didactic/lecture and experiential/group work was very helpful."
"I truly felt like I was learning from the best of the best!"
Course Fees
Course fees cover access to all course materials, food and beverages during the in-person session (including breakfast, lunch, and end-of-day cocktail reception), and a certificate of course completion. Lodging and travel to/from Boston are not included.
General public registration: $1,000 USD
Affiliate registration: $250 USD
The $250 USD registration is reserved for only those affiliated with Harvard Medical School or Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals. Please email us if you are unsure whether you meet these affiliate criteria. Note: Registration is closed. We are not accepting late registrations.
Course Faculty
Course faculty include expert clinical ethicists from the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics and Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals, including:
Maggi Budd, PhD, MPH, ABPP, HEC-C; Boston VA Healthcare System
Alex Cist, MD; Massachusetts General Hospital
Leanne Homan, BSN, MBE, HEC-C; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Michael Ieong, MD; Boston Medical Center
Kerri Kennedy, MA, BSN, RN, HEC-C; Boston Children’s Hospital
Babu Krishnamurthy, MD, MBE; Steward Healthcare, St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center
Jonathan Marron, MD, MPH; Boston Children’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Wendy McHugh, RN, MSN, HEC-C; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Aimee Milliken, PhD, RN, HEC-C; Boston College, Connell School of Nursing
Ellen Robinson, RN, PhD, HEC-C; Massachusetts General Hospital
Lindsay Semler, DNP, RN, CCRN, HEC-C; Brigham and Women’s Hospital
David Sontag, JD, MBE, HEC-C; Beth Israel Lahey Health
Lisa Taylor, JD, MS, HEC-C; Boston Children’s Hospital
Additional Information
Confidentiality Policy
The Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics considers patient confidentiality to be of utmost importance. Though the course will involve immersive, hands-on instruction around clinical ethics cases, all teaching cases will be fictional, pulled from publicly-available sources, or fully anonymized in order to maintain patient confidentiality. Please contact the course directors with any confidentiality questions or concerns.
Registration Costs and Travel
Registration costs cover access to all course materials, food and beverages during the in-person session (breakfast, lunch, and end-of-day cocktail session), and a certificate of course completion. Lodging and travel to/from Boston are not included. Visit the Parking at HMS webpage for directions, campus maps, public transportation information, and details about parking garage hours and rates. Information about local accommodation options convenient to Harvard Medical School as well as dining and leisure activities will be provided to course registrants.
Accommodation Requests
Harvard University welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you would like to request accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please email us in advance of your participation or visit. Requests for Sign Language interpreters and/or Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) providers should be made at least two (2) weeks in advance, if possible. Please note that the university will make every effort to secure services, but that services are subject to availability.
COVID-19 Guidance
Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics has taken necessary measures consistent with local regulations and guidelines to mitigate the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Despite these measures, COVID-19 is highly contagious, and we cannot guarantee that you will not be exposed to COVID-19 at any Center in-person event. By attending a Center in-person event, you acknowledge and assume this risk. You are encouraged to do your part by complying with all health and safety protocols recommended by Harvard Medical School and to follow all local laws and regulations. Learn more about how we Keep HMS Healthy.
Refund Policy
Refund requests must be submitted in writing to bioethics@hms.harvard.edu by 11 p.m. ET on May 17, 2023. Requests will be reviewed by the appropriate Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics staff and, if approved, will receive a 100% refund minus a $50 administrative fee. Requests sent after the deadline will not be approved and refunds will not be provided. Note: Registration is closed. We are not accepting late registrations.
