Ethics Group Internship Program

The Ethics Group recruits undergraduate and graduate student interns to work at the AMA Headquarters in Chicago on an ongoing basis for summer, fall, and winter/spring semesters. Internships are unpaid but participants will receive course credit for their work in accordance with the requirements of their academic program. Past interns have typically been law students, medical students, and undergraduates with an interest in bioethics, philosophy, religion, biology, or other life sciences.

Interns provide support for ongoing projects and initiatives in the Ethics Group. Interns are asked to conduct research on a wide variety of medical ethics issues which contribute to the formation of AMA ethics policy and other research projects related to the Code of Medical Ethics. Work may include researching legal, medical, or ethics literature and other resources; organizing and summarizing research material; and handling telephone inquiries or written correspondence. Interns also have the opportunity to attend faculty seminars and interact with a diverse range of professionals working in bioethics at a professional medical association.

Past interns have obtained positions in private health law firms, health care consulting firms, and health related graduate programs.

To apply, candidates should submit the following items to Thomas Wagner: a resume; a cover letter; and a short writing sample illustrative of ethics or health-related work or a 500-word explanation of your interest in bioethics and your desire to work at the American Medical Association.

Applicants will be contacted only if they are qualified for an interview.

Deadlines and start dates:

Fall internship

• Applications due: Mid July
• Start date: Early September

Winter/Spring internship

• Applications due: Early November
• Start date: Early January

Summer internship

• Applications due: February
• Start date: Early June

Summer 2008 interns:
Chris Acker has completed his first year of medical school at Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine. He is a recipient of the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics scholarship to pursue an MA in Bioethics and Health Policy as he completes his MD degree, both at Loyola. His particular interests include end-of-life care and health policy. As a physician, Chris seeks to combine his ethics training with his clinical experience to help develop and implement health care ethics and policy. In 2007, he graduated from Marquette University with a BS in Biomedical Sciences and an interdisciplinary minor in Ethics.

Jonathan Rohde is the sixth DePaul-AMA Law and Medical Ethics Scholar. Jonathan recently completed his first year at DePaul University College of Law, where he is a Health Law Fellow, a staff writer for the Journal of Health Care Law, and a member of the Student Board of Directors for the Health Law Institute. Jonathan's primary interest is in the legal and ethical ramifications of genetic information technology. Jonathan graduated from Washington University at Saint Louis in 2005 with a BA in English Literature.

Fall 2007 - Winter/Spring 2008 intern:
Swathi Reddy is a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of Chicago double-majoring in Political Science and Biological Sciences and hoping to attend medical school in the future. As an intern for the Council on Ethics and Judicial Affairs (CEJA), she helps carry out background research for council reports and maintain literary search results for CEJA staff. Swathi's research interests are primarily concerned with the interaction between socio-economic variables and disease and global health policy, and ultimately, she would like to pursue a career ininternational public policy.

Summer 2007 interns:
David Boren is a student at University of Illinois medical school. Before entering medical school, David completed a Fulbright in Iceland in bioethics and subsequently earned a Master's in ethics. Since beginning the Fulbright, David has been interested in issues pertaining to confidentiality and informed consent in medicine. At the AMA, David's main work concerns ethics in industry-sponsored research. At the AMA, he is also giving feedback and helping develop pilot software for medical students. Among David's most celebrated accomplishments is passing the Icelandic government's language proficiency exam in Icelandic.

Abigail Van Kempen is the fifth DePaul-AMA Law and Medical Ethics Scholar. Abigail recently completed her first year at DePaul University College of Law, where she is a Health Law Fellow and member of the Health Law Institute Student Board of Directors. She is interested in the legal and ethical issues surrounding end-of-life care. Abigail graduated from Hope College in 2006 with a BA in political science and psychology.

Daniel Zank recently completed his first year of medical school at Loyola University 's Stritch School of Medicine where he is also enrolled in the honors program in bioethics. His interests include health policy, especially at the interface of medicine and public health, and health care economics as applied to issues of rationing. In the future, he would like to integrate the study of medical ethics into his practice through service on a hospital ethics committee. Daniel graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a BS in biology in 2002 and again in 2006 with a MS in population health sciences.