For surgeons doing the part-time Clinical Ethics Fellowship

The 2025-2026 Applications is now open!

Please apply here at this link.

Applications will not be accepted after January 15. We will review applications as they are submitted and strongly encourage potential fellows to apply early.

The MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics and the Department of Surgery are pleased to sponsor a program in Surgical Ethics. This program explores ethical issues that arise in the practice of modern surgery. The program includes:

• Monthly surgical ethics case conferences for residents and faculty
• New ethics curriculum for surgical residents
• New fellowship training program for surgeons
• One Year, Part-Time Surgical Ethics Fellowship

The American College of Surgeons-MacLean Center fellowship is designed for surgical residents, fellows, or attending surgeons from outside The University of Chicago who are interested in gaining training and experience in surgical ethics. This fellowship program builds on the MacLean Center’s successful clinical medical ethics fellowship program, now in its 30th year. The goal of the surgical ethics program will be to prepare surgeons for careers that combine clinical surgery with scholarly studies in surgical ethics. The fellowship will include training in research, teaching, and clinical ethics consultations. The program includes monthly surgical ethics case conferences and the opportunity to participate in the surgical ethics curriculum and mentored research in surgical ethics.

The program begins with a five-week, full-time Summer Intensive introduction in July and August. From September to June, fellows meet one day a week (Wednesdays) for a structured ethics curriculum including Topics in Clinical Ethics, Law and Ethics, Introduction to Moral Philosophy, Surgical Ethics, and research-in-progress seminars. Fellows also participate and are supervised in an ethics consultation service. Working with faculty mentors in surgery, each fellow will design and carry out a research project.

The American College of Surgeons-MacLean Center fellowship will provide partial support for travel costs during the year of fellowship training. 

Criteria for selection to the American College of Surgeons-MacLean Center Surgical Ethics Fellowship Program

1. If a resident, the applicant must be in good standing and have the endorsement of the Program Director; if a faculty member, the applicant must have the endorsement of the Section Chief or Department Chair
2. A commitment to integrating surgical ethics into career plans
3. A proposed research project that could be completed during the fellowship year
4. A commitment to the ideals and missions of the American College of Surgeons