Description: This course will address a range of issues in public health ethics. The first part of the course will provide an introduction to key ethical frameworks and concepts relevant to public health, and it will describe the overlap and distinctions between public health and medical ethics. The remainder of the course will use a case-based approach to considering ethical dilemmas in several domains, including the following: 1) resource allocation and distributive justice; 2) questions of autonomy and paternalism; 3) health promotion & disease prevention; 4) clinical care; 5) research ethics; and 6) emerging issues in public health ethics. The course will use a blend of lectures and group discussions to consider topics of interest. Students will play an active role in researching, presenting, and writing up case studies that will be used to illustrate ethical concepts and conflicts and to facilitate class discussion.
