Designing Core Clinical Bioethics Training for Master's Level Students in an American Chiropractic College

Objective: To develop a core curriculum for teaching biomedical ethics to master's level students involved in a clinical research training program at a chiropractic institution and research center. Method: Qualitative research was conducted using interviews with semi-structured questions. Four leaders with experience in ethics teaching or administration were interviewed. The interviews asked each interviewee to consider a set of topics for bioethics, add to, alter or delete topics, and then to provide one key learning objective for each final topic. Interviewees were then asked to comment on best teaching methodologies for these topics, as well as best assessment models (for both students and institutional assessment). Answers were coded thematically, with responses used to revise and derive a curriculum for a course in clinical bioethics. Results: Responses from participants provided guidance for the development of a course in clinical bioethics that relies heavily upon the use of case scenarios and combined teaching and learning methodologies. It includes, for each topic of a course that meets one hour per week for 14 weeks, a “driving scenario” around which classroom discussion will take place. It also provides a list of learning objectives, both cognitive and affective in nature. There are suggested readings, and an assignment for each section of the course. Conclusion: A curriculum in clinical bioethics for master's students was developed from information provided by interviewees. This curriculum will be implemented for master's students at the next scheduled iteration of the course.