With the ongoing growth in the field of medicine and healthcare, the types of jobs in bioethics continue to grow. Bioethics, which is the study of ethical, social, and legal issues that present themselves in medicine and biomedical research, is a growing field with satisfying career opportunities. It is mainly concerned with healthcare ethics, quality health care, and human well-being.
The expanding field of bioethics is gaining traction among the world’s leading academic institutions, including bioethics advice and analysis, information dissemination to the community, and ongoing bioethics research contributions into the current body of knowledge on biological and medical conditions and treatments.
Although the field of bioethics is a small sub-field of the broader biology, technology, and medical fields, it is a growing field. The reason for this rapid growth is related to the new and ethically uncertain ground associated with human genome mapping, genetic engineering, and groundbreaking treatments for diseases once thought to be terminal and incurable. As a result of new technologies and treatments, the bioethicist’s roles in healthcare ethics are growing with the need to help clarify the ethical aspects of these emerging discoveries involving medical ethics and health, and how it plays out in routine clinical practice.
The field of bioethics can play an important part in ethics and health and to strengthen national health systems, strengthen patient safety and to accelerate health systems resilience. Read on to find some of the top bioethics jobs that are available in this growing and exciting field.
Top Bioethics Jobs
Public Policy Advisor or Analyst
The role of the bioethics professional as a public policy advisor or analyst has developed as public health awareness has risen. As the government’s role in healthcare has risen, the government’s role in determining whether or not a new medical treatment or procedure is ethical or moral has also grown. The role of a bioethics professional in this capacity is to assist federal government and local government officials in their understanding of new medical treatments and procedures and the medical ethics involved in developing health policy. The bioethics professional will make clear the path to discovery, how the treatment or procedure works, and specifically why it makes a difference in the lives of patients who are in need of this new medical advance to improve their lives and patient outcomes. Bioethicists use their role as policy advisor or analyst to help government legislators and officials develop new applicable laws and policies, procedures, guidelines, and regulations that recognize the value of these new treatments and procedures and the ethical nature of their use. In turn, the public will have an increased comfort level in embracing and utilizing new techniques related to genetic engineering, synthetic organ transplants, embryonic stem cell research, and other treatments that are being developed and researched.
Community Spokespeople and Educators
With the ongoing utilization and development of new medical treatments and procedures, bioethics continues to have an effect on the everyday lives of people across all socio-economic levels. With new medical research leading to findings that can help relieve some of the most life-threatening and incurable diseases, the community needs to have an understanding of the possible medical ethics implications associated with these new developments. Bioethics professionals in this important role are involved in community engagement and handle public concerns and must have a talent for teaching the key concepts associated with new medical and technological discoveries that can impact routine clinical practices and human lives. Excellent interpersonal skills required by these bioethics professionals help to calm concerns that a new treatment may be wrong, harmful, or ethically incorrect, and they answer questions that arise within the community. These bioethics educators and spokespeople help the community to understand and possibly accept the value conflicts that may be caused by developments in treatments.
Bioethics Researcher
Bioethics researchers use their advanced understanding of biology, medicine, and ethics to create rigorous evidence as they develop their own research at universities and hospitals. A bioethics researcher utilizes bioethics principles and may participate in biological research or advise others in the field of biological and medical research on the ethical nature of their ongoing inquiries and discoveries. Bioethics research professionals pave the way for new discoveries while abiding by human rights laws, ethical regulations, government regulatory standards, and other standards and rules that are applicable in this industry. Those with experience researching in healthcare ethics handle confidential information while working to enhance health systems through their important work.
Bioethics Compliance Consultant
Bioethics compliance consultants serve as subject-matter experts in the growing field of bioethics. These bioethics professionals provide healthcare ethics consultation to health systems and have a thorough knowledge and understanding of bioethics principles and literature, professional and industrial guidelines, current events within the field, ethical norms, and pharmaceutical and medical industrial activity. A bioethics compliance consultant may act on a company’s committee and serve as a subject-matter expert. He may also lead corporate bioethics positions, bioethics education and training, outreach programs within the company. He may also work with a bioethics advisory committee to provide materials and lead discussions. In addition, the bioethics compliance consultant may develop bioethics content for company communications, both internal and external. Compliance teams may work with health systems to ensure quality healthcare that is compliant with ethics standards within quality care delivery systems. People in this position are experts in common bioethical issues and have excellent organizational skills.
Bioethics Investigator
A bioethics investigator works as a researcher and can expect to collaborate with other professionals in clinical, legal, social science, philosophy, and other scientific and medical areas of expertise. As a contributor to the development, implementation, and evaluation of educational and training materials for other professionals, the healthcare ethics investigator may be called upon for consultation from inside or outside of their organization. This engaging career may also lead to participation in review boards, committees, and task forces within the workplace. Areas of investigation and research may include topics such as preventive ethics, ethics of research, ethics of genetics and emerging technologies, ethics in the clinical setting, ethics and health policy, and disparities in healthcare access and its consequences.
Clinical Ethicist
A clinical ethicist plays an important role in providing high-quality ethics consultations and brings innovation to building an ethical medical program that combines medical ethics and health. In this important role, clinical ethicists work collaboratively with those in clinical roles, with leaders within the organization and community, and with the public to bring to the community quality care delivery systems. They often are involved in educational program design and in communicating with the public and other professionals via teleconferencing, webinars, and other remote technologies. In this role, the clinical ethicist often acts as a liaison with clinical staff to enhance and promote ethics programs and services within and outside the organization. They are often contributors to ethics consultations and education.
Medical Bioethics Director
A bioethics director provides leadership and oversight to a bioethics program, oftentimes within a hospital setting. These bioethics professionals play a role in providing healthcare ethics consultation, ethics policy development, ethics continuous quality improvement initiatives, and ethics education within the organization. In this role, the bioethics director promotes and sustains ethical standards and considerations, promotes public and professional ethics understanding, clinical quality, and is a contributor to activities within the department and organization. They work collaboratively to provide education with healthcare providers, patients, and decision-makers in patient care. They uphold and develop policies and standards for ethics within healthcare. The bioethics director provides important consultations for committees, departments, and staff members needing guidance and ethics advice in regards to modern medical science.
Bioethics and Patient Rights Coordinator
The bioethics and patient rights coordinator works to oversee and promote ethics consultation services, education programs within an organization, policies regarding patient rights and responsibilities, directives, and organ donations for patients within their facility. The bioethics and patient rights coordinator promotes professional and personal growth of staff and is responsible for data collection and analysis. In this important role, the bioethics and patient rights coordinator reports and communicates important departmental information regarding ethics and patient rights. The bioethics and patient rights coordinator has previous experience with death and dying, grief and bereavement, and medical ethics. Someone in this role typically has excellent interpersonal skills, collaboration and team-building skills, and negotiation skills, as well as familiarity with developing organizational policies.
Instructor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy
Teaching bioethics as an instructor of medical ethics and health care policy is typically within a university setting and requires a PhD. Expertise in bioethics, along with knowledge of ethical, legal, and social implications, is required to educate students entering the expanding field of bioethics. Whether teaching an online course or in-person classes, the responsibilities of the instructor of medical ethics and health policy include working with students and others to develop skills and knowledge in performing primary research in the ethical theory, medical humanities, health policy, health law, and social implications of genomics and other related areas that may bring ethical dilemmas. The instructor of medical ethics and health policy works to prepare abstracts, develop manuscripts, and present research findings at scientific meetings in the field of bioethics. If making a difference in the future of bioethics is important to you, a great way to do that is as an instructor of medical ethics and health policy.
Clinical Ethics Fellow
Working as an ethics fellow is typically in the form of a one- to two-year clinical ethics fellowship that is either full time or part time. A fellowship is designed for those with a serious interest in bioethics and medical ethics who wish to further their understanding and knowledge of the history, philosophy, and current practice of ethics and health policy. A clinical ethics fellowship may be done after completing a terminal graduate degree. Depending on the organization, the clinical ethics fellows are often part of the clinical ethics consultation services within a health care system. A clinical ethics fellowship provides excellent opportunities for professional development and ethics-related education. A successful candidate to a Clinical Ethics Fellowship often participates in biomedical ethics committee meetings and educational activities related to undergraduate and graduate curricula, and delivers presentations on clinical ethics topics for clinical audiences, among other things. Upon completion of a clinical ethics fellowship, fellows can expect to have the skills, knowledge, training, and experience to be competitive for a bioethics job in clinical ethics or academic bioethics.
What fields of study lend themselves to a career in bioethics?
Bioethics careers may include professionals with bachelor’s degrees with backgrounds as philosophers, scientists, health administrators, lawyers, theologians, anthropologists, disability advocates, nurses, medical doctors, and social workers. People in the challenging field of bioethics may teach to facilitate ethics-related education, do research, treat patients in routine clinical practices, or work to develop policies and laws.
What skills do people with bioethics jobs often have?
People entering the field of bioethics often have strong interpersonal skills, as well as oral and written communication skills. In addition to training and experience in bioethics or clinical bioethics, they often have excellent research skills. Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively on shared goals and missions, as well as strong presentation and teaching skills, are things that someone working in a bioethics job would have.
Where do people work in bioethics jobs?
People working in bioethics jobs may be employed in a variety of settings, including healthcare, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities, institutional review boards, compliance boards, policy organizations, or a global health organization, to name a few. Work situations also depend upon if the job requires a bachelor’s degree or a higher level of education.
What is the job outlook for bioethics job-seekers?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, all occupations within the field of healthcare are growing rapidly, much faster than the average for all occupations combined. The ever-growing and expanding role of those in bioethics is fueled by added research and government funding in research. New research can raise ethical questions and concerns among researchers, government officials, and the general public. There will be a continued need for advising and educating regarding the ethics of new discoveries, their ethical implications, and the long-term risks and benefits of a research discovery. A prospective and current employee can expect strong employment opportunities.
Professional Organizations for Bioethics
Professionals working in the field of bioethics join professional organizations to gain access to continuing ethics education, online education, information on conferences related to the field, job postings, networking, and more. People involved in these organizations have opportunity to interact professionally. Two professional organizations in bioethics to check out are the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics and the American Society for Bioethics and the Humanities.
July 2022
By Carol Dolan BS RN BSN CDE
Carol graduated with her BS in Nutrition from Montclair State University and her BSN in Nursing from Rowan University. She is a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) currently working with adults and children living with Diabetes in both outpatient and inpatient settings.
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