All students must complete a 3-credit-hour core Clinical Ethics Rotation. Students are exposed to clinical cases as they arise, to hospital ethics committees and ethics consultation programs, to institutional review boards (IRB), and to hospital policies covering "do not resuscitate" orders (DNR), advance directives, withdrawal of artificial feeding, organ procurement and transplantation, and medical futility. They will become familiar with the clinical, psychological, social, professional and institutional context in which ethical problems arise.
While there will be some didactic and seminar sessions, students will spend most of their time observing rounds in relevant services (e.g., intensive care units, pediatrics, geriatrics, etc.) with leading clinicians. Schedules will need to be somewhat individualized to meet student needs, allowing for a minimum of eight (8) hours of clinical experience per week during two 10-week rotations. The current locations for this course are MetroHealth Medical Center, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Students complete rotations at two of the four sites and also partake in observations at the Hospice for the Western Reserve. A preceptor will be available and responsible for each hospital.
At MetroHealth students are expected to:
Participating Clinical Areas of the MetroHealth System include: