title: Developing a bioethics curriculum for medical students from divergent geo-political regions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The World Health Organization calls for stronger cross-cultural emphasis in medical training. Bioethics education can build such competencies as it involves the conscious exploration and application of values and principles. The International Pediatric Emergency Medicine Elective (IPEME), a novel global health elective, brings together 12 medical students from Canada and the Middle East for a 4-week, living and studying experience. It is based at a Canadian children's hospital and, since its creation in 2004, ethics has informally been part of its curriculum. Our study sought to determine the content and format of an ideal bioethics curriculum for a culturally diverse group of medical students.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted semi-structured interviews with students and focus groups with faculty to examine the cultural context and ethical issues of the elective. Three areas were explored: 1) Needs Analysis - students' current understanding of bioethics, prior bioethics education and desire for a formal ethics curriculum, 2) Teaching formats - students' and faculty's preferred teaching formats, and 3) Curriculum Content - students' and faculty's preferred subjects for a curriculum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While only some students had received formal ethics training prior to this program, all understood that it was a necessary and desirable subject for formal training. Interactive teaching formats were the most preferred and truth-telling was considered the most important subject.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study helps inform good practices for ethics education. Although undertaken with a specific cohort of students engaging in a health-for-peace elective, it may be applicable to many medical education settings since diversity of student bodies is increasing world-wide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioethics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Greenberg
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Celine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Osgoode Hall Law School, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stolte
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioethics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hellmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioethics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Randi Zlotnik
authors.initials: RZ
authors.lastname: Shaul
authors.affiliation: Division of Emergency Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Rahim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valani
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Paediatric Emergency Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. dennis.scolnik@sickkids.ca.
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scolnik
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel / Q000208:ethnology*; D001675:Bioethics / Q000193:education*; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000193:education; D002170:Canada; D003142:Communication; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D017144:Focus Groups; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D008877:Middle East; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education; D011057:Politics; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*