The Pediatric Bioethics Fellowship Program is a two-year program that trains clinicians in Bioethics with a focus on pediatric issues in the clinical and research arenas. The goal of the fellowship is to prepare fellows for academic careers with an emphasis on scholarship in Pediatric Bioethics. Fellows are expected to enroll in the Bioethics Master’s Degree Program, conduct an independent research project, and participate in clinical Bioethics consultations.
The program is sponsored by the Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. Fellows benefit from collaborations with the Seattle Children’s Hospital Center for Diversity and Health Equity, as well as The University of Washington Department of Bioethics and Humanities, School of Medicine, Law School, School of Social Work, and School of Public Health.
Curriculum
The goal of the Pediatric Bioethics Fellowship is to prepare clinicians for academic careers with an emphasis on scholarship in Pediatric Bioethics. The Bioethics Fellowship may be done in conjunction with subspecialty fellow training.
Scholarly Activities
Mentored research projects and presentations at professional meetings.
Educational Activities
Weekly seminars, visiting professor lectures, grand rounds series, and an annual Pediatric Bioethics conference.
Consultation Activities
Mentored Clinical Bioethics consultation with experienced Bioethicists at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of Washington.
Teaching Activities
Lectures and case-based group discussions for medical students and house staff.
Clinical Activities
Patient care opportunities on inpatient units or ambulatory care clinics at Seattle Children's Hospital and the University of Washington Medical Center.
Candidates must plan to engage in Pediatric clinical care and/or research. Clinical training may be in Pediatrics or other Pediatrics-related areas, such as Anesthesia, Genetics, Psychiatry, Radiology or Surgery. This fellowship can be pursued concurrently with subspecialty training, and we welcome individuals who are already engaged in subspecialty training at Seattle Children's Hospital.
Fellows who do not have prior advanced training in empirical research methodology (i.e. MPH or PhD) will be encouraged to enroll in the master's program in Bioethics or Public Health at the University of Washington.
Core Training Sites
Seattle Children's Hospital & Sand Point Clinic
Seattle Children's Hospital is both a community hospital for greater Seattle and the pediatric referral center for the Northwest providing excellent pediatric care to meet the medical, surgical and developmental needs of children in the WWAMI region. Serving as the main clinical training site for pediatric residents, this 420-bed hospital is conveniently located one and one-half miles from the University of Washington campus in an attractive, residential neighborhood of Seattle. The staff consists of University faculty and Seattle Children's full-time physicians.
Other sites include Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Harborview Medical Center, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and the University of Washington Medical Center.
Douglas S. Diekema, MD, MPH
Director of Education, Treuman Katz Center Fellowship Director, Bioethics Fellowship Program Chair, Institutional Review Board, Seattle Children's Research Institute Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics Professor, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
Aaron G. Wightman, MD, MA
Co-Director of Education, Treuman Katz Center Associate Fellowship Director, Bioethics Fellowship Quality Director, Clinical Bioethics Associate Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics Associate Professor, Division of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics
Faculty
Emily Berkman, MD, MA
Assistant Professor, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics Assistant Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics
Jonna D. Clark, MD, MA
Associate Professor, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics Associate Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics
Douglas S. Diekema, MD, MPH
Director of Education, Treuman Katz Center Fellowship Director, Bioethics Fellowship Program Chair, Institutional Review Board, Seattle Children's Research Institute Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics Professor, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
Denise M. Dudzinski, PHD, MTS
Professor & Chair, Department of Bioethics & Humanities Adjunct Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics
Katherine Ruth Gentry, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesia Assistant Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics
Ross M. Hays, MD, MPH
Professor Emeritus, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics Professor Emeritus, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Jennifer C. Kett, MD, MA
Interim Division Chief Medical Director, Clinical Bioethics & Palliative Care Associate Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics
Stephanie Kraft, JD
Director of Research, Treuman Katz Center Assistant Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics
Mithya Lewis-Newby, MD, MPH
Chair, Seattle Children’s Hospital Ethics Committee Associate Professor, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics Associate Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics
Roberto E. Montenegro, MD, PhD
Associate Director of Bias Reduction in Curricular Content (BRICC), UW School of Medicine Assistant Professor, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Assistant Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics
Douglas J. Opel, MD, MPH
Interim Director, Treuman Katz Center Associate Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics Associate Professor, Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics
Jeffrey Sconyers
Associate Teaching Professor, Health Services Adjunct Associate Teaching Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics
Elliott Mark Weiss, MD, MSME
Assistant Professor, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics Assistant Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics
Aaron G. Wightman, MD, MA
Co-Director of Education, Treuman Katz Center Associate Fellowship Director, Bioethics Fellowship Quality Director, Clinical Bioethics Associate Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics Associate Professor, Division of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics
Benjamin S Wilfond, MD
Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care, Department of Pediatrics Professor, Division of Pulmonology, Department of Pediatrics
Joon-Ho Yu, MPH, PhD
Assistant Professor R2UM Principle Investigator Assistant Professor, Division of Genetic Medicine Assistant Professor, Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care
Fellows and Alumni
Bioethics Fellows
 |
Brittany Lee, MD Brittany Lee, MD is a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology fellow who is concurrently in her second year of the Bioethics fellowship program. Her research focuses on communication and Bioethics issues related to genomic testing in Pediatric Oncology. |
|
|
Allie Lyle, MD Allison Lyle is a second-year Neonatology and first-year Pediatric Bioethics Fellow. She obtained her undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Indiana University. She completed a masters degree in bioethics and medical humanities as well as her MD at the University of Louisville. She is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine pediatrics residency program. Her research interests include neonatal ethics education, utilization of palliative care in the NICU, and medical education. |
|
|
Claire Shearer, RN Claire Shearer, RN is a Cancer Care Unit and Emergency Department nurse, concurrently in her second year in the Bioethics fellowship program. Her research focuses on pediatric health disparities, and nursing perspectives. |
|
|
Holly Vo, MD Holly Vo is a second year Pediatric Pulmonary fellow who is concurrently in her second year of the Bioethics fellowship program. Her research focuses on medical decision making for the chronically ill child. |
|
|
Kirsten Wilhelm, MD |
How to Apply
Requirements
Interested candidates should submit an application online and e-mail a curriculum vitae, a personal statement about career and research interests, a writing sample and three letters of reference (submitted directly). Due to funding constraints, we are only able to accept individuals who have US citizenship or permanent resident status. We are not able to have candidates with J-1 or other visas.
For individuals currently enrolled in clinical fellowships at Seattle Children's Hospital or the University of Washington, we offer the opportunity to explore creative ways to combine the primary clinical fellowship with components of our Bioethics fellowship. These requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. For more information, please contact Dr. Diekema at douglas.diekema@seattlechildrens.org.
Timeline
The application deadline is November 15, for fellowship or combined fellowship with another clinical subspecialty program. Fellowship start date, if accepted, would be the following July. Applications should be sent to: Bioethics_PalliativeCareAdmin@seattlechildrens.org
For more information, please see the Center's website.
Contact
Division of Bioethics and Palliative Care
M/S MB.5.605, PO Box 5371, Seattle, WA 98105
206.884.1377
Bioethics_PalliativeCareAdmin@seattlechildrens.org