Bioethics Life at UT Southwestern
Edited by the Program in Ethics in Science & Medicine Staff
Bioethics Life presents short original essays about personal experiences at UT Southwestern pertaining to any facet of bioethics - from clinical or research ethics, professional life, public policy debates, or health professions training.
Submissions are reviewed by Program staff, and individuals interested in submitting should include: (1) a brief explanation of the context, inspiration, or goal of the essay (2) an electronic file in a recent version of Microsoft Word or WordPerfect - rich text format (rtf) preferred.
For more information about submissions, contact Aida Ramirez-Boyce: aida.ramirez-boyce@utsouthwestern.edu
Essays:
Gilbert, Lisa. Redemptive Medicine. Posted August 2008.
I am a fourth year medical student at UT Southwestern. I grew up in Africa, in Kenya, Togo and South Africa, returning to the US for college. I plan on going back after completing residency in Family Medicine. My experiences abroad helped to give me a compassion for others.
Hornaday, Evelyn Wallace, MDiv. Death and Dying Done Well: A Theological Reflection on Bioethics and Christian Theology. Posted June 2008
With sabbatical time available to spend on a passion she believed worth exploring, Rev. Evelyn Hornaday became part of the palliative care team at Parkland Hospital for a two-week externship in April 2008. Building on her previous experience as a chaplain on a palliative care team in another hospital, her goal was to discern how the field had evolved through the years and what role there might be for a new theological conversation. Parkland and the resources of UT Southwestern Medical Center became a laboratory where her questions and subsequent conclusions were explored in the bright light of reality: people living and dying in a health care institution. The following paper is her reflection on her conclusions.
Evelyn Hornaday, MDiv., is an Episcopal priest serving in the Diocese of Texas. A graduate of the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, Austin, Rev. Hornaday specializes in intentional interim ministry, helping parishes solve identity and ministry issues using family systems theory. To join in her conversation, she can be reached at evelyn.hornaday@gmail.com.
Exploring the intersection of bioethics and Christian theology is one that engages both disciplines in serious philosophical reflection. When medicine and religion meet on the plain of compassion and understanding, humanity can be the greatest beneficiary of the results of any thoughtful discourse. As does all productive exploration of ideas and their attending questions, this one began with a conversation between friends: What is a good death?
