Addressing Racism and Achieving Equity in Bioethics Programs: Reality and Recommendations

The 1st presenter will set the stage for this panel: Recent years have brought increased attention to the problem of racism in health care settings and the role bioethicists should play in addressing it. One intervention that bioethicists can make in ameliorating racism is through training bioethicists. As the training site for future bioethicists, bioethics programs occupy a unique position in shaping the future of the field. What trainees are taught about race and racism can help frame the discourse on these issues for decades.
The 2nd speaker will present results of a recent online survey of bioethics program directors that examined how their programs responded to calls to address racism.
The 3th presenter will report the work of a two-year international task force focused on identifying challenges to achieving racial equity, diversity and inclusion (REDI) in bioethics programs. This presentation will discuss the task force recommendations for bioethics program directors to advance REDI through their programs.
The 4th presenter will discuss her center's DEI and anti-racism programming which includes a publication project regarding the health consequences of racism and two initiatives involving students who are underrepresented in bioethics: a week-long educational workshop for undergraduates and a year-long opportunity for minority doctoral students to build a mutually supportive community with support from diverse bioethics scholars. The presenter will explain how these initiatives were developed and offer practical suggestions for audience members interested in building on existing assets to develop programming to support DEI and anti-racism goals at their own institutions.