RIE Brings Ethics to a New Medical Center

The Rutland Institute for Ethics has been engaged to oversee the implementation of the ethics curriculum at the new University of South CarolinaSchool of Medicine in Greenville. Dr. Kelly Smith, C. Calhoun Lemon fellow, is spearheading the project.  Dr. Smith has a Master’s degree in Biology as well as a PhD in Philosophy and has long been involved with ethical issues in medicine and biotechnology, so it’s a natural fit for him.  The new school has a unique mission and seeks to produce physicians who not only master medical science, but are more well rounded, thoughtful and ethically mature than usual.
 “This is a huge opportunity for the Rutland Institute,” says Smith, “it’s very rare to be able to get in on the ground floor of a new medical school and we intend to make the most of it.”  The program will span all four years of medical training and is designed to emphasize hands on exercises, which force the students to really think. 

Dr. Kelly C. Smith

For example, the second year students just recently participated in a simulation of a pandemic flu exercise where they came to grips with some of the difficult ethical decisions healthcare providers must face in extreme situations like this.  “A brand new medical school is not always the most organized environment to work in,” Smith quipped, “but the students are really engaged and we have great support from the administration.  This is going to be something really special.”