Advanced Training in Healthcare Ethics (ATHE)

Overview 

The UW School of Medicine Department of Bioethics & Humanities offers an online program to provide advanced training in healthcare ethics (ATHE). ATHE students gain foundational knowledge and skills to broaden their competency in clinical ethics and ethics consultation. The program consists of three online courses in ethical theory, clinical and organizational ethics consultation, and ethics consultation methods (accredited for a maximum of 18 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™*) and a three-day Summer Seminar in Healthcare Ethics**. Students are welcome to take individual courses for unofficial transcripts. The ATHE program is awarded by the department and does not result in UW transcripted credits. 

The American Society for Bioethics and Humanities offers a Healthcare Ethics Consulting Certification (HEC-C). The Advanced Training in Healthcare Ethics (ATHE) curriculum can help students prepare for the HEC-C exam. Our instructors are not only faculty at the University of Washington School of Medicine, two are practicing clinical ethicists at the University of Washington Medical Center – Montlake and Harborview Medical Center. Case discussion, combined with strong grounding in ethical principles and methods, forms the foundation of our curriculum. Our program will give you rigorous practical instruction in ethics consultation. 

Calendar

September 15, 2024: application deadline for course one 

September 25 – December 6, 2024: course one, ATHE: Ethical Theory with Dr. Nancy Jecker 

December 15, 2024: application deadline for course two 

January 6 – March 14, 2025: course two, ATHE: Clinical and Organizational Ethics with Dr. Denise Dudzinski 

March 15, 2025: application deadline for course three 

March 31 – June 6, 2025: course three, ATHE: Healthcare Ethics: Methods with Dr. Gina Campelia 

Tentatively August 4th - August 6, 2025 (Online - 3 days): Summer Seminar in Healthcare Ethics

 

 

*University of Washington Continuing Medical EducationThe University of Washington School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

**Summer SeminarThe University of Washington School of Medicine designates the Summer Seminar for a maximum of 21.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

PROGRAM FEATURES
  • Program Director: Denise Dudzinski, PhD, HEC-C, Professor; Chief, UW Medicine Ethics Consultation Service
  • Guided by the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities’ Core Competencies for Healthcare Ethics Consultation
  • Convenient for clinicians and full-time professionals
  • Three online distance learning courses in healthcare ethics:
    • Ethical Theory (September 25 – December 6): Moral theories used to solve the toughest clinical cases
    • Clinical & Organizational Ethics Consultation (January 6 – March 14): Key legal and ethical issues in healthcare ethics
    • Methods (March 31 – June 6): Methods for case analysis and writing effective chart notes
       
  • Summer Seminar in Healthcare EthicsA three-day continuing medical education (CME) course, held online annually in late July/early August (previously accredited for a maximum of 21.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™). 
CURRICULUM

The curriculum includes three online courses (accredited for a maximum of 18 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™) and a three-day Summer Seminar in Healthcare Ethics*. Courses are designed to develop clinical ethics and ethical reasoning skills. Training can be completed in one academic year, plus the three-day Summer Seminar*. Each distance learning course is 10 weeks. Each course requires several hours of online instruction and several hours of independent preparation and study/week. Students may take individual courses for an unofficial transcript; the ATHE program and Summer Seminar* do not result in transcripted UW credits. 

Our online courses are flexible:

  1. Courses are asynchronous, meaning the class does not “meet” in real time. Weekly online coursework can be completed when it is convenient for you.

  2. You can complete the assigned material any time during the week, according to your schedule. On rare occasions, we may try to have everyone online at the same time. If/when this happens, we will work with students to find a time that works with everyone’s schedules.

  3. You may take just one or two one of the online courses if you do not want to complete the full program. Please fill out the Application and indicate which course you want to take and why. Upon admission, pay non-refundable application fee and tuition. Tuition can be paid for each individual class or for the entirety of the program. 

  4. You may take online courses over a period of several years if that works better for you. Likewise, Summer Seminar* can be taken before or after the three courses, even a year or two later if that works best for you. 

  5. To see if you would like to pursue ATHE, you are invited to take the online Summer Seminar* in Healthcare Ethics. Reserve a spot on our website’s Summer Seminar in Healthcare Ethics page. Registration opens annually in the spring.

  6. You will need a Gmail account to participate. Accounts can be obtained here: https://mail.google.com

Tuition payments are due 1 week in advance of the first day of the course, and upon payment of tuition, you will receive the link to the course website.

 

AUTUMN Course in Healthcare Ethics
Ethical Theory
This course studies important historical theoretical frameworks that are the foundation of modern medical ethics, as well as contemporary commentary. September – December. 
Instructor: Nancy Jecker, PhD

 

WINTER Course in Healthcare Ethics
Clinical & Organizational Ethics Consultation
This course examines the relationship between clinical and organizational ethics. Analysis of clinical ethics cases that have policy implications. Instruction on methods for ethics consultation. January – March. 
Instructor: Denise Dudzinski, PhD, HEC-C 

 

SPRING Course in Healthcare Ethics
Healthcare Ethics: Methods
This course offers case-based practice in clinical ethics including methods of ethical analysis and writing ethics consultation chart notes. March – June. 
Instructor: Laura Webster, D.Bioethics, RN, HEC-C

 

*SUMMER SEMINAR (previously accredited for a maximum of 21.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™)
The Summer Seminar in Healthcare Ethics is a three-day online course held annually in late July/early August. The seminar provides an intensive, interactive introduction to the analysis of ethical problems in clinical care. This is a CME course and is not eligible for tuition exemption. For more information on CME credits, please visit UW CME's website..

APPLICATION PROCESS

ATHE Application Form 

Applications are reviewed on a continual basis and classes can be taken asynchronously. The application deadline for each class is the 15th day of the month prior to the first day of the new academic quarter: 

  • September 15: application deadline for course one (autumn)
  • December 15: application deadline for course two (winter)
  • March 15: application deadline for course three (spring)

You will receive an admissions decision within three weeks or sooner; you may choose to defer your start date. 

For any questions about our application process, please contact BHContEd@uw.edu.

FEES AND CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME)

Fees: Three Online Courses (18 Credits)

  • Course one payment ($4000 / UW discount: $3600)
  • Course two payment ($4000 / UW discount: $3600)  
  • Course three payment ($4000 / UW discount: $3600) 

PAY TUITION HERE

UW employees receive a 10% discount. Please contact BHContEd@uw.edu for the UW discount code before paying.

Tuition payments are due 1 week in advance of the first day of the course, and upon payment of tuition, you will receive the link to the course website.

We are not able to offer ATHE course scholarships at this time. 

All fees are subject to change without prior notification. The amounts shown here are for planning purposes only and represent an estimate of fees for the ATHE certificate. Final costs are subject to change without notice and may differ from the amounts posted.

Payment Fee/Course Fee/Credit Hour Total for 3 Courses Payment Method
UW Discount $3600 $900 $10,800 Discount Code and Department Worktags
Course Fee $4000 $1000 $12,000 Credit Card

For Summer Seminar fees, please see the Summer Seminar in Health Care Ethics page. 

University of Washington Continuing Medical Education  

  • The University of Washington School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
  • Online Courses in ATHE Ethical Theory; Clinical & Organizational Ethics Consultation; and Consultation Methods: The University of Washington School of Medicine designates this other activity for a maximum of 18 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • Summer Seminar*: The University of Washington School of Medicine has previously designated this other activity for a maximum of 21.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 
  • Earning CME Credits: We understand that some students would like CME credits in addition to the certificate they receive after completion of the ATHE Program's three online courses and Summer Seminar. Based on CME rules, however, only a fraction of the hours spent in our courses qualify for CME credits. The amount of CME credit awarded is based on the amount of enduring material, in this case, hours of recorded lectures by faculty members for each course. You are welcome to claim the CME credits if you wish. CME credits may be awarded upon request after successful completion of all three online courses: 
    • ATHE: Ethical Theory
    • ATHE: Clinical & Organizational Ethics Consultation
    • ATHE: Consultation Methods

The instructor will determine whether the student has successfully completed each course, evidenced by weekly written assignments. 

Please contact BHContEd@uw.edu to begin the process of obtaining your CME credits. 

Online Payments 

  • We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, JCB, etc.; we do not accept Husky or ORCA cards. 
  • To make a tuition payment, please visit our ATHE Tuition Payment Portal
FAQ

Who should apply for this program?

  • Participants who possess strong writing, critical thinking, and verbal communication skills. GRE scores are not required. 

  • Clinicians who need Continuing Medical Education credits. 

  • Professionals in healthcare, including physicians, nurses, clergy, social workers, clinical ethics consultants, and members of ethics committees. 

I am interested in learning more. How will I know whether this program is right for me?

  • For information about the ATHE program, please contact Bioethics and Humanities Continuing Education at BHContEd@uw.edu. We’ll be happy to talk to you about Advanced Training in Healthcare Ethics.

I just finished college and want to apply to medical school. Is this program right for me?

  • Not yet. While we encourage you to pursue your interest in Bioethics during medical school, this program is not intended as an introduction to bioethics. This training is better suited to professionals already working in healthcare.

I am a UW employee or trainee. May I use UW’s Tuition Exemption to cover the fees?

  • No, this program is not tuition-based and therefore not eligible for tuition exemption.

What are the technology requirements for participation? 

When does the application cycle begin? 

  • Application to our program is continuous. The deadline for consideration is the 15th day of the month prior to the first day of the new academic quarter: 
    • September 15: application deadline for course one (autumn) 
    • December 15: application deadline for course two (winter) 
    • March 15: application deadline for course three (spring) 
  • Once applied, an application can take up to three weeks to review. 
  • If you are interested in our program, please complete our ATHE Application Form.

When can I begin taking classes? 

  • Because our program is asynchronous, you can begin our program in the fall, winter, spring, or summer, whichever best fits your schedule. If you choose to begin in the fall, training can be completed in one academic year, plus the three day, online Summer Seminar.

How do I obtain my CME credits? 

  • We understand that some students would like CME credits in addition to the certificate they receive after completion of the ATHE Program’s three online courses and Summer Seminar. Based on CME rules, however, only a fraction of the hours spent in our courses qualify for CME credits. The amount of CME credit awarded is based on the amount of enduring material, in this case, hours of recorded lectures by faculty members for each course. You are welcome to claim the CME credits if you wish. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • CME credits may be awarded upon request after the successful completion of all online courses:
    • ATHE: Ethical Theory
    • ATHE: Clinical & Organizational Ethics Consultation
    • ATHE: Consultation Methods
  • The instructor will determine whether the student has successfully completed each course, evidcenced by weekly written assignments.
  • Please contact BHContEd@uw.edu to begin the process of obtaining your CME credits.

Does the ATHE program contribute to the 400 hours of clinical ethics experience required for the HEC-C examination? 

  • To our knowledge, hours spent as a student of ATHE program do NOT count toward the HEC-C examination. This information, and information regarding the details for activities that count towards the 400 hours of clinical ethics, should be confirmed with the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. 
CONTACT & RESOURCES

For information about ATHE, please contact BHContEd@uw.edu.

For more information about healthcare ethics and certification, visit The American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. The Healthcare Ethics Consultant-Certified (HEC-C) program is the first-ever certification program that identifies and assesses a national standard for the professional practice of clinical healthcare ethics consulting. Established by the HCEC Certification Commission, the HEC-C credential endorses your knowledge of key concepts in healthcare ethics and affirms your expertise, competence, and skillset.  

ATHE CERTIFICATE VERSUS MA IN BIOETHICS