Intensive Bioethics Course

IBC45 took place MONDAY 3 JUNE – WEDNESDAY 5 JUNE 2024.
Thanks to all those who made IBC45 a resounding success: our administrative staff and librarians, our speakers and small group leaders and, last but by no means least, our wonderful group of attendees, whose evaluations are confirming that it was one of the best IBCs ever.
Special thanks to our guest speaker, Distinguished University Professor Dr. Anthony Fauci, whose riveting presentation on lessons learned from responding to HIV and Covid-19 proved a highlight of the course.

We expect IBC46 to be as popular as IBC45 and will be posting information on the website in due course, so please keep an eye out for further details. We look forward to welcoming you next June to our historic campus.

This world-famous course offers stimulating plenary lectures by eminent scholars and clinicians, followed by in-depth small-group discussions led by expert facilitators.

The IBC was relaunched in 2019 following a review of how best it can meet the needs and interests of healthcare professionals, and others wishing to deepen their understanding of bioethics, in the 21st century. The updated course is a collaborative venture between the Kennedy Institute of Ethics (KIE) and the Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics (PCCB), reflecting the course’s greater emphasis on clinical bioethics. IBC44 attracted a capacity audience and generated glowing feedback from participants.

IBC45 provided an immersive, intensive experience in a compact three-day format. Day 1 (led by experts from the KIE) explored ethical theory, including core ethical principles and issues in global bioethics. Day 2 (led by experts from the PCCB) focused on key issues and challenges in clinical bioethics. Day 3 began with a special guest lecture by Dr. Anthony Fauci on “Pandemic Preparedness: Lessons from COVID-19” and then delved into selected contemporary and emerging bioethical issues. The course retained its ever-popular small-group discussion sessions that explore the issues raised by the plenary talks.

We look forward to welcoming you to the historic campus of Georgetown University in the nation’s capital as we pursue, in a congenial and conversational environment, our commitment to top-quality professional education in bioethics.

In support of improving patient care, this activity (IBC45) has been planned and implemented by MedStar Health, The Kennedy Institute of Ethics, and the Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics. MedStar Health is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. 

This activity (IBC45) was planned by and for healthcare teams, and learners will receive 15.25 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.

Nurses: This activity (IBC45) is approved for 15.25 ANCC contact hours. Nurses should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Physicians: MedStar Health designates this enduring material (IBC45) for a maximum of 15.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.


For additional information, please contact us at kennedyinstitute@georgetown.edu