By JULIE MINDA With many bioethicists across the ministry retiring or contemplating retirement, members of CHA's mission department are encouraging students and professionals with an interest in ethics to begin graduate training programs soon with the goal of completing doctoral-level training in the next several years.
"There's no shortage of people interested in bioethics - the concern is that there's a shortage of people with sufficient education in theology to address Catholic health care ethics," said Sr. Pat Talone, RSM, CHA vice president of mission services. The question, she said, is: "As our generation retires, are there enough people stepping up for jobs in health care ethics? Are they grounded in theology?"
"We need a pipeline of people now, or we won't be able to fill the bioethicist positions in the ministry," said Ron Hamel, CHA senior director of ethics.
Fr. Thomas Nairn, OFM, CHA senior director of ethics, said when evaluating education choices, prospective bioethicists need to consider where they've been and where they're heading. "You need to find the program that builds on your strengths and addresses your weaknesses," he said.
The three experts agreed that a master's degree is strongly recommended and a doctorate in theology is highly desirable for ethicists. This level of education is recommended because of the complex nature of the ethical decisions that arise in Catholic hospitals and systems, noted Fr. Nairn. Facilities that do not have the luxury of hiring a doctoral-level ethicist should ensure that their ethicist has access to a mentor with more experience, he said.
At the system level, advanced education is particularly important because of the wide variety of issues that these ethicists encounter and since ethicists at this level likely are advising a large team of hospital ethicists within their organization, Fr. Nairn said.
Fr. Nairn, Sr. Talone and Hamel said practical training and experience is important. It puts the education to the test, they said.
Some prominent Catholic universities have been honing their course work to make it more flexible for postgraduate students and adding options to enhance their degrees.
CHA's ethics staff recommends that individuals interested in training to become bioethicists at ministry facilities investigate programs including the following when looking for the education that is right for them:
Creighton University, Omaha, Neb.
Website: chpe.creighton.edu
The Center for Health Policy and Ethics at Creighton offers a 30-hour online Master of Science in health care ethics degree that most students are able to complete in less than two years. The course work looks at ethics from a historical, cultural, philosophical, political, economic and legal perspective. The curriculum includes both medical humanities and liberal arts courses. The degree program is rooted in Jesuit values of concern for the poor and marginalized.
Generally, applicants for this program must have a baccalaureate degree. The application deadline for the session beginning in January is Dec. 18.
Duquesne University, Pittsburgh
Website: sites.duq.edu/healthcare-ethics
At the Center for Healthcare Ethics at Duquesne's McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts, students can earn a master's degree, a doctorate of health care ethics or a doctor of philosophy — all through on-campus course work and clinical experience. Students take courses in law, theology, philosophy and other liberal arts subjects.
The 30-hour master's degree program is designed for health care professionals with at least two years' experience and a bachelor's degree. The program includes a clinical practicum. The school's 36-hour doctor of health care ethics program trains students for careers in clinical or organizational ethics in health care. That degree requires students to complete a project with a practical application. The 36-hour doctor of philosophy program is a research doctorate with a dissertation requirement.
Gerard Magill, the Vernon F. Gallagher chair for the integration of science, theology, philosophy and law, said the programming at the center focuses on "integrating the Catholic tradition with other religious traditions — such as Jewish health care ethics — and secular discourse in the field."
Students must apply by Nov. 15 for the spring semester.
Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles
Website: bellarmine.lmu.edu/bioethics.htm
The Master of Arts degree program from the Bioethics Institute at Loyola Marymount aims to help students understand bioethics and health care issues from a Catholic philosophical and theological standpoint. Students are challenged to understand the social justice implications of health care issues.
An undergraduate degree is required to apply for this 30-hour, on-campus program. The course has a heavy emphasis on clinical work: All faculty in the Master of Arts degree program work in a clinical setting, and all students are required to take a clinical bioethics introduction course that includes time in an intensive care unit. "It is here that the many contemporary bioethical issues come to life," explained Karen Pavic-Zabinski, graduate program administrator for the Bioethics Institute.
The deadline to apply for the spring session is Nov. 5.
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Website: bioethics.lumc.edu
Health care professionals with advanced degrees are the typical students pursuing the online Master of Arts in bioethics degree from the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Health Policy at Loyola. The courses for this 30-hour degree are rooted in the Jesuit and Catholic traditions that focus on service to others and respect for all faiths. The degree program combines classroom education, research and casework in ethics. Course work is designed to help the students to become leaders and to understand the role of religion and spirituality in health care.
Students can complete the degree in one to five years and can elect to participate in simulated ethics consultations at Loyola. They also can opt for a Catholic concentration in their studies.
The deadline to apply for the spring semester is Nov. 15.
Marquette University, Milwaukee
Website: marquette.edu/theology
Marquette University's theology department offers a Master of Arts in Christian doctrine and Master of Arts in theology, both of which are 30-hour programs. It also has a doctorate program in religious studies with 60 or more hours of theology education. And new offerings are in the works.
Marquette is beginning to enable students to take some of its master-level courses online. Also, in August, Marquette will launch a doctorate program with a focus in health care ethics, with the majority of the course work in theology.
Therese Lysaught, associate professor and assistant chair of the department of theology, explained that Marquette developed the health ethics doctorate program in response to a CHA survey several years ago that found that most ethics positions at ministry facilities require doctoral training and that an understanding of moral theology is needed for ethicists to do their job well. This doctorate, she said, "will include interdisciplinary work to provide the competence needed to work in a health care environment."
People interested in learning about the new program can contact Lysaught at therese.lysaught@marquette.edu.
Saint Louis University and Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis
Website: hce.slu.edu
This year, the Albert Gnaegi Center for Health Care Ethics at Saint Louis University and Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis launched a dual degree program through which students can earn a Master of Arts degree in theology and a doctorate in health care ethics. The on-campus program enables students to earn both degrees in less time than it would take to complete the two courses of study separately.
Saint Louis University and Aquinas designed the dual-degree program for doctoral candidates who wish to work in health care after they earn their degree. James M. DuBois, the Hubert Mader chair of health care ethics, department chair and Bander Center director at Saint Louis University, explained, "The (master's) program provides an excellent foundation in Catholic theology, with a special focus on moral theology and social teachings, while the PhD program provides a curriculum and clinical experiences that prepare students to work as bioethicists or corporate ethicists."
The program gives students access to ethicists from Catholic health systems and observation opportunities with Saint Louis University School of Medicine faculty.
Nov. 15 is the deadline to apply for the spring semester.