Reflections on the Current Status of Bioethics Education

As bioethics is a field in transition, it is of the utmost importance that we discuss the implications that this flux is having on students and the future generation of bioethicists. While conversations about the regulation of the profession have been in the forefront, dialogue about the impact that the educational system has on aspiring bioethicists has been overlooked. The implications of bioethics education are not only essential to the next generation of bioethicists, but will play an integral role in shaping the profession itself. After completing bachelor’s degrees, many students interested in bioethics question whether to seek interdisciplinary degrees in bioethics departments or study in traditional streams, such as philosophy, law, or health policy, with a bioethics focus. Two models of graduate bioethics education have emerged: the departmental model, and the bioethics-centered model. This paper explores the merits and challenges of each model in light of a student’s individual ambitions and the bioethics landscape as a whole.