Skip to main content
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities

McGaw Bioethics Clinical Scholars Program

Our program offers Northwestern University’s McGaw Graduate Medical trainees (residents and fellows) a two-year scholars program that provides advanced training in the theory of bioethics and its application to clinical medicine.

The McGaw Bioethics Scholars Program is a two-year program and is co-sponsored by the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities and McGaw Medical Center. Eligible trainees must complete the following curricular components:

  • Attend 10 Core Didactics/Workshops
  • Attend 12 Specialty Didactics/Workshops
  • Complete Asynchronous Learning
  • Participate in Practical Experience
  • Develop a Portfolio of Completed Works
  • Develop a scholarly project

These curricular components have been created to promote the ACGME health competencies across all 6 subcompetencies:

  • Patient care
  • Medical knowledge
  • Practice based learning and improvement
  • System based practice, professionalism
  • Interpersonal skills and communications
  • Professionalism

The program components are based on a needs assessment performed by the program leadership and are subject to change based on feedback from participants and mentors.

Program Objectives

  • Understand the moral, philosophical, and historical basis of bioethics
  • Understand the basic principles of bioethics
  • Identify ethical features of a clinical encounter and develop critical skills necessary to evaluate ethical claims
  • Address ethical challenges and conflicts through defending a particular position on an ethical issue
  • Develop awareness of ethical issues that may occur across subspecialties
  • Develop a scholarly product that allows the learner to increase their understanding of the ethical challenges in their own subspecialty

Apply to Join

 
Applications to join the program in Fall 2025 are now being accepted. The application deadline is Friday, August 8, 2025. A letter of support from your program director and some other pre-work is required. Please see the online application below for further details.
 
Non–McGaw trainees, please instead consider the Northwestern Clinical Bioethics Scholars Program.
  

Important Dates (2025)

  • Information sessions for McGaw residents and fellows (two options)
    • Tuesday, June 17, 5-6pm (see email from McGaw for Zoom link)
    • Monday, July 7, 6-7pm (see email from McGaw for Zoom link)
  • Applications open: June 23
  • Applications close: August 8
  • Decisions communicated: Mid/late August
  • Orientation: TBD
  • First seminar session: Wednesday, September 10, 6-8pm, in person

Follow Bioethics on