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
Fall 2009 Intern
Cassandra Leigh is currently a fourth-year undergraduate at Northwestern University majoring in Religion and Chemistry. She is interested in attending either a master’s or PhD program in bioethics immediately following graduation in March 2010. Cassandra has worked in research labs at New York University and at the National Institute of Psychiatry in Mexico City and recently interned at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in their Scientific Freedom, Responsibility, and Law program. Cassandra hopes to use her knowledge of both science and religion to tackle the large ethical dilemmas presented by the current state of technology and create practical solutions for the many disciplines affected by these questions.
Summer 2009 Interns:
Kevin Abbott is the seventh DePaul-AMA Law and Medical Ethics Scholar. He recently completed his first year at DePaul University College of Law, where he is a Health Law Fellow and a member of the Student Board of Directors for the Health Law Institute. Kevin’s primary interest is genetics and the law. Kevin graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2007 with a BA in Political Science and a Chemistry minor. He is also a certified Emergency Medical Technician.
Rachel Lewin graduated with Honors from the University of Chicago in June. She received a BA in English Language and Literature. During her time at University of Chicago, she worked with Dr. Olufunmilayo Olopade and the Cancer Risk Clinic on a study of women at high risk for breast cancer, as well as spending time at Johns Hopkins working on a study of triple negative breast cancer. In the future, Rachel plans to pursue a dual law and public policy degree. Ultimately she hopes to work on health policy, addressing ethical questions that arise from new discoveries and the disparities present in health care.
Yien Li recently completed his first year of medical school at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine. Currently, he intends to specialize in endocrinology upon graduation. Yien’s previous public health experience has also led to interests in health disparities and management of chronic diseases. As an intern working with the Institute of Ethics, he will be conducting research on physician awareness of health care disparities. Yien graduated from the University of Chicago in 2008 with a BA in biology.
Puja Parikh is a third-year undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame double-majoring in Political Science and Psychology (pre-law). Puja hopes to attend law school directly upon completing her degree. At Notre Dame, she is a lead attorney and witness for the Notre Dame Mock Trial Team, a delegate and board member for the ND Model UN Team, and Vice President of the ND Indian Association. Puja's prior work includes her time at the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Human Relations Commission (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), where she worked directly with discrimination issues as an Intake Specialist. Puja will use her experience as an intern for the American Medical Association and Council on Ethics and Judicial Affairs as an aid in law school when pursing either health or corporate law, which will allow her to ultimately pursue a career in bioethics policy for a corporation, the US government, or an association.
Fall 2008 Interns:
Danielle Hahn is currently obtaining her Masters of Bioethics at the Graduate College of Union University & Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, on a clinical ethics consultation and clinical policy track. Her thesis focuses on the effects and application of the Illinois Advance Directive legislation, which she became interested in through her volunteer work on the Medical Ethics Committee at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. With this background, she hopes to pursue a PhD in the history of medical ethics policy in Fall 2009. Danielle graduated with her BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2005, with a major in Legal Studies and a focus on bioethics, as well as a certificate in Integrated Liberal Studies.
Chloe White graduated in May from the University of San Diego with a BA in Philosophy. Chloe is currently enrolled in the Bioethics and Health Policy graduate program through Loyola University Chicago. With a masters in Bioethics and Health Policy, Chloe hopes to attend law school where she can focus her studies on health law. Chloe's interests in the field include end of life decisions and stem cell research. She hopes to eventually work as an ethical advisor in either the hospital or research setting.
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.
