MD/Master of Bioethics (MBE)

The first step of the process is to gather information regarding the MD/MBE program. Helpful resources and key contacts include:

• MBE Program — the Master of Bioethics program website provides detailed information on the program and application process.
• MD/MBE Information Session — every fall and spring the Combined Degree office holds an MD/MBE Information Session for medical students. Email announcements are sent out to students prior to the event. Check out the full recording of the August 22, 2024, info session recording.
• Advisory Deans — students should discuss career and academic goals with their Advisory Dean and other faculty advisors.
• Dr. Autumn Fiester — candidates should contact Dr. Autumn Fiester, MBE Program Director, to discuss the Master of Bioethics program.
• Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) Financial Aid Office — as soon as a student is considering the pursuit of an MD/Master's program, students should reach out to Mike Sabara financial aid counseling and planning.
• Current Students — connecting with a current PSOM MD/MBE student is beneficial and may provide valuable insights based on personal experiences.
• 20 at 20: Longstanding Bioethics Master’s Program Milestone — check out this article for a look at some of the past alumni.
• Dept of Medical Ethics and Health Policy Seminar Series and Events — students are encouraged to attend the monthly MBE Alumni Speaker Series talks, monthly Research Ethics and Policy (REPS) talks, and weekly Penn Bioethics Seminars (PBS) talks.
• Take an MBE Course — some students may choose to take an MBE course to learn and explore the field of bioethics (check out the Policies & Procedures section for how to register).

Program Requirements:

The MD/MBE curriculum is composed of 9 credit units (2 of which may be transferred from the Medical School curriculum, upon approval). However, the timing of these course units may vary based on the student’s curriculum plan. The following courses are required for the MBE degree:

• Proseminar (BIOE 7010) - This course is designed to expose first-year MBE students to a broad range of topics, debates, and research methods in contemporary bioethics. The course explores ethical questions raised by emerging neuroscience technology, health care for incarcerated individuals, drug development and approval, COVID policy, the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease, and other topics.
• Foundations of Bioethics (BIOE 6020) - This course examines the two moral frameworks individuals use in ethics decision-making, deontology and consequentialism. This course also introduces students to the conceptual framework specific to the field of bioethics, casuistry, narrative theory, and principlism.
• Students must take one course in one of the following three content areas: Policy OR Research Ethics OR Clinical Ethics. Each semester the MBE program will provide a list of which courses count for each area of this distribution requirement.
• 5-6 Electives (2 of which may be MD curriculum transfer credits)
• Optional: *Capstone Seminar (BIOE 6000) or Mentored Research (BIOE 6050). The Capstone Seminar is for students interested in learning about bioethics research while pursuing their own research project. Mentored Research is a research assistantship for credit; students are supervised by Department faculty in their research, often resulting in co-authored publication. MD students are highly recommended to take one of these options, especially students interested in academic medicine.

For more details about core courses and elective courses, see the course work descriptions.

Ethics Mediation Certificate option:

The Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy now offers the Penn MBE Clinical Ethics Mediation Certificate. This Certificate can be added to the Master of Bioethics degree, offering students the opportunity to receive additional clinical ethics mediation training right here at Penn. This certificate option is only available to students who are in the MBE program. All Certificate students would be required to complete the 9-course MBE degree, and then the Certificate would require 3 additional course units for a total of 12 course units.

Timing:

Every bioethics course in the Masters program is held in the late afternoon, from 5:15 to 7:30pm, once a week for 12-14 weeks. Coordinating the Master of Bioethics course offerings with the demands of the MD curriculum will require careful attention to the guidelines described below. With careful planning, it is possible to complete both the MD and the Masters in four years. To complete both degrees in four years, it will be necessary for the student to implement a schedule which takes into account the maximum number of courses which may be taken in a given semester.

MD/MBE Degree Completion Time:  4 Years (with careful planning)

Starting the Master of Bioethics program any later than the spring of the third year in Medical School will require that additional semesters be added to the standard timeline for Medical School in order to complete the degree. Students do have the option of taking a 5th year to complete the MD/MBE. However, there may be financial aid implications.

Students must be proactive about researching any possible changes from the original schedule approved by the Medical School and the Master of Bioethics program. Some seemingly simple changes in course selection and timing may have the unintended consequence of adding additional semesters and increasing tuition. Be sure to consult with the Medical School and the Master of Bioethics program directors before making adjustments to your schedule.

MD/MBE Sample Study Plans:

The following are possible 4-year MD/MBE curriculum plans that a student might follow. They assume that students will complete the requirements for two transfer credits. Reminder that students must refer to the PSOM Additional Course Policy when developing a curriculum plan.

Sample 1: Begin MD/MBE Spring of First Year (Note: a MBE elective may be taken in the Fall of Year 1 as well)

Sample 2: Begin MD/MBE Fall of Second Year

Medical School Planning:

There are several things to keep in mind when making your Medical School plans:

• The MBE degree counts as your Scholarly Pursuit requirement.
• MD/MBE students need to complete: 1 week of bioethics and the Measey STeP course.

Admissions Process:

Apply to the Master of Bioethics Program:
The Master of Bioethics application can be obtained at the MBE Program Website. Students are encouraged to contact Dr. Autumn Fiester, MBE Program Director, for more information. Please note: the MBE program has waived the application fee for Perelman medical students.

Once a student is accepted into the MD/MBE program, the student will connect with the Dr. Molly Sinderbrand, MBE Staff Associate Director, to develop a curricular plan. After a plan is developed, the student is encouraged to meet with the Associate Director of the Combined Degree Office and the PSOM Registrar to discuss the plan and seek approval from the Medical School.

Application Deadline:               Rolling

Course Registration:

If you are a current MD student who wants to register for a course before applying to the program, fill out the MD Student Request for MaC Course Registration to begin the process. If students have any questions or encounter any challenges with this process, please contact the PSOM Registrar’s Office.

Notifications:

Admitted students should immediately notify their Advisory Dean, the Combined Degree Office, Registrar’s Office, and the Financial Aid Office.

Incompletes:

The MBE program allows students to take Incompletes if they need more time to finish their coursework. However, students with three or more incompletes will not be allowed to register for courses. This includes registration for MD courses.

Transfer Credits:

Perelman medical students who are matriculated in the MD/MBE program will have the option to earn transfer credit for two courses in the MD curriculum, ‘Doctoring’ and ‘Bioethics and Professionalism,’ contingent on the completion of supplemental work.

• To receive one MBE credit for 'Doctoring,' the following two courses must be completed: ‘Doctoring I’ and ‘Doctoring II,’ along with one supplemental 5-10 page research paper under the supervision of an approved faculty member. Please contact Dr. Molly Sinderbrand for more information.
• Additionally, to receive one MBE credit for ‘Bioethics and Professionalism’ (FR 601), the student must write a 5-10 page research paper under the supervision of an approved faculty member and must also participate as a discussion leader (i.e. TA) in this course. NOTE: Students who are unable to attend FRO 601 due to an away rotation will be required to take an additional BIOE course at their own expense. Please contact Dr. Molly Sinderbrand for more information.

Please note that if a student has not made arrangements prior to the course for this work to be counted as transfer credit, he/she cannot apply to use this credit toward the MBE degree.

PSOM Additional Course Policy:

• The courses can be taken in any school in the University during the Fall or Spring semesters when the student is actively enrolled (not on a leave of absence or short-term break) and paying MD tuition (not just fees only).
• To take a course for credit in a Summer semester, MD tuition must be paid in full for the previous Spring and following Fall semesters. Only Perelman School of Medicine (such as: Bioethics, Epidemiology, Health Policy Research, Translational Research, Public Health) or School of Law courses may be taken during the Summer. A student may take only one course in a Summer semester limited to the UPenn course catalogue.
• In the event that a non-MD course requirement conflicts with an MD course requirement, the MD course must be given priority.

Tuition Policy:

The PSOM tuition policy for the MD/MBE program seeks to minimize the additional financial burden for students enrolling in the program. The Medical School will cover the cost of 4 MBE required course units (in a fall or spring semester) while the student is paying full-time tuition, as long as the student has not taken any other university registered credits. Students who also take advantage of the 2 units of transfer credit (see details above) from the Medical School curriculum will therefore only need to pay for 3 of the 9 course units required for the degree.

Perelman medical students will be charged additional tuition for 3 MBE graduate school course units:

IF 2 credits have been earned via ‘Doctoring’ and ’Bioethics and Professionalism.’

AND

IF PSOM is paying for 4 course units (which would happen as long as the student has not taken any other university registered credits).

Important Note:  Students will be charged for more than 3 course units if either of the above conditions are not met. Students with questions about credits earned or needed should contact the Registrar of the Medical School. If the Medical School is paying for 4 course units, these would normally be the first 4 the student takes with the exception of any courses taken during the summer. Please refer to the PSOM Additional Course Policy for information on tuition implications.

To learn more information about tuition and fees for the MBE program, visit the MBE tuition page.

Financial Aid:

As soon as a Perelman medical student is considering the pursuit of an MD/Masters Program, financial aid counseling and planning is essential. Students should contact Michael Sabara, Director of Financial Services.  He is available to help explain program costs, the financial aid process, funding options and how to apply for financial aid. Here are some things to consider:

1. It is recommended that a student who needs to maximize his/her eligibility for loans takes 2 or fewer MBE course units per med school term. By taking 2 or fewer MBE course units each semester, a medical student can retain a MD Scholarship (for tuition/living expenses) and would have a Direct loan eligibility of $40,500. If a student takes 3 or more MBE course units in a semester, the loan/scholarship system will automatically categorize them as a Graduate Student (not as a Medical Student), and the student would be eligible for a significantly lower amount of Direct loan funds. A student who takes 3 or more MBE course units in a semester is not eligible for a MD Scholarship (for tuition/living expenses) and has a Direct loan eligibility of $20,500.
2. Direct loans have aggregate limits, which are cumulative and include any undergraduate, graduate, and medical school loans borrowed in the Direct loan program. For any semester when a student is a full-time MBE student (versus full-time MD student), the MBE program aggregate limit is $138,500 versus the MD aggregate limit ($224,000).
3. Students needing loans are required to meet with Michael Sabara.

Scholarship Funding:

The MBE Program offers the Friedmann Scholarship on a yearly basis. The purpose of this scholarship fund is to provide financial support to medical student(s) with financial need at PSOM in the MD/MBE Program. Contact Dr. Autumn Fiester for more information.

For more information regarding the MD/MBE program, contact:

Bioethics Program:

Autumn Fiester, PhD
MBE Program Director
Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy
Blockley Hall, 14th Floor
423 Guardian Drive
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4884
215-573-2602
fiester@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Molly Sinderbrand, PhD
MBE Staff Associate Director
Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy
Blockley Hall, 14th Floor
423 Guardian Drive
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4884
molly.sinderbrand@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

AJ Roholt
MBE Coordinator
Department of Medical Ethics & Health Policy
Blockley Hall, 14th Floor
423 Guardian Drive
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4884
215-898-3837
arroholt@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Perelman School of Medicine:

Chinwe (ChiChi) Nwadiogbu, MLA
Associate Director
Combined Degree and Physician Scholar Programs Office
Jordan Medical Education Ctr, 6th Floor
3400 Civic Center Blvd, BLDG 421
Philadelphia, PA 19104-5162
215-898-0938
cnwad@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Registrar
Jordan Medical Education Ctr, 6th Floor
3400 Civic Center Blvd, BLDG 421
Philadelphia, PA 19104-5162
215-898-1165
psomregistrar@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Michael Sabara
Director of Financial Services
Financial Aid Office
Jordan Medical Education Ctr, 6th Floor
3400 Civic Center Blvd, BLDG 421
Philadelphia, PA 19104-5162
215-573-3423
msabara@pennmedicine.upenn.edu