Toward a Culture of Humanism: A Proposal for the Future of Bioethics Education in Medicine

Abstract

In this commentary, I argue that medical education is the crucial factor that must be developed and reformed if real progress is to be made in the discipline of bioethics in the future. How should we teach bioethics in a way which makes a significant difference to our students? Do they act on what we teach—what they see as real and relevant? To address these critical questions, I first define the pedagogically important relationship between descriptive, deliberative, and prescriptive bioethics, and suggest that descriptive ethics informs the latter two, which in turn relate in a “dynamic equilibrium.” I then outline three important tasks for medical ethics educators over the coming decades: (1) rededication to teaching philosophy in a way which is both engaging and learner-centered; (2) commitment to outcomes-oriented data on the efficacy of teaching bioethics; and (3) responsibility for expanding the vision of bioethics education to encompass the institution in a culture of humanism.