Alden March Bioethics Institute

12/10/2026

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: The Annual Medical Student Ethics Conference (AMSEC) is a national conference to address ethical issues that arise in medical education. The conference will be held in person at the New York Academy of Medicine in New York City on April 17, 2027. The organizing committee invites abstracts for oral presentations on the ethical issues that arise in medical education because of one’s role as a medical student. The theme for AMSEC 2027 is "Is Medicine Still a Calling?". We invite submissions related to the conference theme and on any other topic tackling ethical issues in medical education.

To submit an abstract, the author must be enrolled in an accredited medical college. All submissions are due by November 15, 2026. Learn more at: https://loom.ly/i6h14Sk

08/10/2026

"Health actors must ration care due to resource constraints. But even when decision makers know the relevant empirical facts about an allocation decision—including how many patients will benefit from a service, which patients will benefit, how much each patient will benefit, and so on—these facts may not provide a clear answer about how to make allocation decisions. This is because competing moral principles recommend different courses of action: for instance, maximizing health benefits may involve deprioritizing more disadvantaged groups.

Facing this moral uncertainty, many ethicists and policymakers have embraced using “fair processes” that emphasize procedural justice over substantively just outcomes. This paper challenges the proceduralist consensus on two grounds."

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bioe.70157

07/10/2026

Offered in our Winter term, AMBI 612 End of Life Ethics, Law and Policy addresses ethical, legal and policy issues related to end of life care. Learn more about our courses at www.amc.edu/bioethics

06/10/2026

"Since drug overdose deaths began increasing in the United States, policy makers and the medical community have developed tools to try to address the crisis. Opioid Treatment Agreements (OTAs) are one such tool which purportedly seek to promote shared decision-making and informed consent with patients...This paper critically explores the ethics of three related features of OTA policies and guidance."

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bioe.70165

05/10/2026

October is Health Literacy Month, a time to recognize the importance of ensuring health information is clear, understandable, and accessible to all. Learn more at : https://loom.ly/C1VGWLQ

02/10/2026

AMBI and Albany Law Professor, Evelyn Tenenbaum, JD has had an opinion piece published, titled "The Supreme Court is Being Asked to Intervene in a Texas Surrogacy Battle. It Must Say No." To read more, https://loom.ly/MXxn3Jg

The case presents a profound conflict between two important principles.

01/10/2026

TODAY: Join us at noon for Ethics Grand Rounds- this month's speaker is Charley Maples, PhD, discussing "Actionable Ethics for a Shifting Landscape: The Role of Clinical Ethicists in Supporting Access to Gender-Affirming Care".

This is a virtual event- join us at: https://loom.ly/PSkhgN4

30/09/2026

The Alden March Bioethics Institute (AMBI) at Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track faculty position at the level of assistant professor. Candidates should have a specialization in bioethics and healthcare policy. Successful candidates will be expected to engage in conceptual or empirical research in bioethics and healthcare policy, to teach two graduate courses in bioethics and policy, to participate in the teaching of the ethics curriculum of Albany Medical College, and to serve as a clinical ethics consultant for the Albany Medical System. We welcome applicants with a terminal degree from a wide range of disciplines including but not limited to philosophy, health policy, law, anthropology, sociology, medicine, and nursing.

Applications submitted before or on 10/15/26 will receive full consideration.

https://loom.ly/JngMdpo

29/09/2026

Join us this Thursday, October 1st at noon for Ethics Grand Rounds- this month's speaker is Charley Maples, PhD, discussing "Actionable Ethics for a Shifting Landscape: The Role of Clinical Ethicists in Supporting Access to Gender-Affirming Care".

This is a virtual event- join us at: https://loom.ly/PSkhgN4

28/09/2026

"Occupational violence and aggression (OVA) puts both staff and patients at risk of physical and psychological harm and can affect the delivery of timely patient care. To help address this issue, many healthcare settings have adopted zero-tolerance language in relation to OVA. Drawing on interviews with 25 emergency department staff in one Australian hospital, we argue that a more nuanced ethical approach is needed and develop a framework of values for responding ethically to OVA incidents in the emergency department."

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bioe.70176