Course Title
Intro to Bioethics/Health Humanities |
Course Number
MEDU-4169 |
Duration/Weeks
4 |
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of year 1
Additional Requirements:
Enrollment in Bioethics and Health Humanities Scholarly Concentration (preceptorship will ordinarily be taken between Year 1 and Year 2) |
Responsible Faculty Director:
Miriam Rich, PhD
Other Faculty:
Lisa Campo-Englestein, PhD |
Available Dates
• July 13 - August 7, 2026
|
Application Submission Deadline
4/3/2026 |
Maximum Enrollment
5 |
| Where and to whom the application should be submitted |
| Please contact Tawny Stromberg for application information. tlstromb@utmb.edu |
| Goals & Objectives |
| Goals: The goal of this class is for students to gain a foundation in the various topics, disciplines, and methods in bioethics and health humanities. Students will
also select and begin researching a topic in bioethics and health humanities, which will serve as the basis for their later fourth-year research selective.
Objectives: Describe the history, scope, and goals of the field of bioethics and health humanities; critically assess traditional and contemporary bioethics and health
humanities theories and methods; apply bioethics and health humanities concepts to cases; formulate bioethics and health humanities arguments. |
| Description of course
activities |
| This course serves as the summer preceptorship for the Bioethics and Health Humanities Scholarly Concentration. It introduces students to foundational topics, methods, and disciplines in bioethics and the health humanities. Students participate in and complete assignments for graduate-level courses in Interdisciplinary Methods and Clinical Ethics and attend a weekly department seminar each week. They also meet weekly with a faculty mentor to select and begin researching a particular topic in bioethics and health humanities, which will later form the basis of their fourth-year research selective project.
Monday: Participate in in-class discussions/activities for graduate-level BHH course, "Interdisciplinary Methods" (requires completion of assigned readings and short
writing assignments for class)
Tuesday: Meet with faculty mentor to work on selecting research topic and completing annotated bibliography
Wednesday: Participate in in-class discussions/activities for graduate-level BHH course, "Introduction to Clinical Ethics" (requires completion of assigned readings
and short writing assignments for class)
Thursday: Attend and participate as appropriate in weekly BHH department seminar, which may entail works-in-progress workshop, themed workshop, or guest
speaker event |
Method of student evaluation
Check all that apply - complete appropriate
section(s) only:
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1. Clinical Observation |
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A. |
Frequency - How often are students
observed clinically? |
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B. |
Format - What method(s) are used to
document the student's clinical performance? |
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Daily oral feedback
End of period oral feedback
Written feedback
Other |
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2. Oral Presentation |
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A. |
Audience - To whom does the student present? |
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|
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B. |
Frequency / duration of presentation(s)? |
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|
|
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C. |
Format - What guidelines are set for
the student's presentation? |
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|
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D. |
Assessment - Who assesses the student's
presentation performance? |
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Self-assessment
Peer assessment
Faculty assessment |
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E. |
Method of content selection |
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Current cases
Student-selected topic
Assigned topic |
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3. Written Assignment (H&P's,
notes, papers, abstracts, etc.) |
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A. |
Frequency of written assignment(s)? |
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Twice weekly |
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B. |
Format - What guidelines are set for
the student's written work? |
| |
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Reflection posts and short papers, as laid out in syllabus rubrics, for Interdisciplinary Methods and Clinical Ethics courses; annotated bibliography on proposed research topic |
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C. |
Length of written assignment(s)? |
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Abstract
Annotated bibliography
1 - 2 page paper
3+ page paper |
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D. |
Are recent references required?
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Yes
No
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E. |
Method of content selection - e.g.
student-selected, relate to cases, etc.? |
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Related to coursework and student-selected |
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F. |
Audience - Who
assesses the student’s written performance? |
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Peer Assessment
Faculty Assessment
Other |
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4. Extra Course Activities |
| |
What expectations do you have for the
student to demonstrate participation in the course (e.g. small group
activities, seminars, thoughtful questions, providing resources, journal
club, etc.)? |
| |
|
Attend and participate in graduate-level Interdisciplinary Methods and Clinical Ethics seminar courses; attend weekly Bioethics and Health
Humanities department seminars (Thursdays, 12-1pm) and ask thoughtful questions; meet regularly with faculty mentor |
|
5. Other Modes of Evaluation |
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Please explain below. |
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N/A (reading materials available on Blackboard and/or through UTMB library) |
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6. Stipend Availability |
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Yes
No
Maybe |
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