Since its founding in 1980, the goals and the activities of the ASE have been predicated on advancing educationally and scientifically sound responses to the many complex questions, issues, and concerns that are distinctive to surgical education. This year, the ASE is establishing the Ethics of Surgery Fellowship (EthoS) in alignment with the goals of ASE.
The Ethics of Surgery Fellowship (EthoS) program is a one-year fellowship designed to equip individuals with the skills and the knowledge base prerequisite for being surgical ethicists, ethics educators, for participating on hospital ethics committees, and for conducting surgical ethics research. Numerous benefits derive from participating in this very timely new ASE fellowship. The primary benefit is that the EthoS Fellowship creates the opportunity for motivated individuals to become proficient in a skill set and knowledge base that will be highly valued by their respective institutions as a resource pivotal to the growth and development of the surgical ethics discipline. In addition, through working with their EthoS Fellowship faculty, and meeting with other fellowship participants, EthoS fellows join a life-long collaborative network of colleagues who share their interest in the ethical dimensions of surgery.
Tuition for the EthoS Fellowship for ASE members is $2,000, and $2,500 for non-members, and is paid by the fellow or their home institution. Travel and accommodations are not included in the cost of tuition.
Applications are now open and the deadline to submit is March 31, 2025.
What are the EthoS Program Objectives?
The Ethics of Surgery Fellowship program (EthoS) is designed to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge prerequisite for being surgical ethicists and ethics educators, for participating on hospital ethics committees, and for conducting surgical ethics research. The program gives the fellows a clinically applicable lens through which they review surgery-related literature, present/discuss cases on rounds, respond in M&M case reviews, participate in ethics consults, make formal presentations, and publish articles. They develop a distinctive way to frame the ethical dimension of surgical care, to define ‘ethics’, to link core surgical ethics responsibilities to clinical/OR decision-making, to inform patients, to balance the professional commitments of medicine with the principles of public health, and to keep sense in end-of-life care.
Who Should Apply?
Members of the Association for Surgical Education who are interested in pursuing ethics-related education or research. Junior faculty and residents with dedicated research time are encouraged to apply. Non-members may also apply but will pay a higher tuition fee.
For more information on becoming a member of the Association for Surgical Education, visit here.
Application Process & Cost
Applicants must complete the online EthoS Application Form and submit it with required attachments. Course tuition is $2,000 for members and $2,500 for non-members. Travel and lodging not included. The application system is now open and the deadline to apply is March 31, 2025.
What are the Fellowship Requirements?
I. Attendance at the 2026 ASE annual meeting in Atlanta, GA from April 26-30 is strongly encouraged.
II. Attend 80% of the two hour every other week virtual EthoS seminars. Each seminar will be a combination of faculty presentations, guest lectures, reviews of ethically challenging surgical cases, and research project brainstorming/updates.
III. Complete brief written homework assignments prior to each seminar.
IV. Demonstrate basic competence of ethical concepts and their applications in a final oral examination regarding an ethics topic or case.
Who are the EthoS Faculty?
EthoS is proud to enjoy a large net of ethics experts who will join seminars as guest faculty. The core faculty will consist of:
Douglas Brown, PhD- Surgical Ethics Specialist
EthoS Application
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