Fellowships

The Division of Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City currently has an opportunity for a full-time 2-year fellowship position in clinical ethics to begin July 1, 2026.

This academic fellowship is part of the New York-Houston Medical Ethics Consortium, which brings together Weill Cornell Medical College, the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System, Houston Methodist Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine. The aim of this consortium is to provide fellows with outstanding training in clinical ethics consultation and mentored scholarship in medical ethics by drawing upon transcontinental expertise and varied practice settings.

Fellows will learn from a distinguished group of faculty and each other through various joint activities: including shared seminar series, case conferences, and journal clubs; visiting observerships at consortium hospitals; and retreats in Houston and New York.  The program will provide fellows with the clinical experience, training, and education required to become experts in clinical ethics consultation and prepare them for academic careers in medical ethics.

Fellowship Components and Service Expectations

• Active participation in the adult and pediatric clinical ethics consultation service based at the Weill Cornell campuses of New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Participation on the ethics consultation service is a critical aspect of the fellowship, which involves real-time clinical work and supervised on-call responsibilities. Training is based on the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities core competencies in clinical ethics consultation.
• Mentored scholarship in medical ethics including a capstone project.
• Structured curriculum on advanced topics in bioethics.
• Case conferences and journal club.
• Active participation in institutional ethics committee meetings.
• Active participation in the educational activities of the Division, including the teaching of medical students and house staff.
• Participation in Divisional and Consortium scholarly programs.
• Clinical rotation on the ethics service of our partner institutions in Houston.
• Fellows who choose to participate in part-time clinical practice in their respective specialties during the fellowship may have this opportunity.

Qualifications

• We will consider applicants with a doctoral /or terminal degree in a relevant area of study. This might include medicine, nursing, bioethics, social work, chaplaincy, the humanities, social sciences and/or the law.
• Clinical experience in a relevant area of practice preferred. This could include medicine, nursing, bioethics, social work, clinical psychology, chaplaincy, and/or health law. Inter-disciplinary training and experience are a plus.
• Compassion, empathy, open-mindedness, and the ability to integrate the clinical, psychosocial, cultural, spiritual, and institutional dimensions of ethical decision-making.
• Exceptional analytical and writing skills.
• Excellent verbal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collegially with a diverse professional and lay staff.  
• Scholarly initiative and creativity.

Competitive stipend with excellent benefits, including a subsidy for conference travel, will be provided.

Application Requirements

• Current CV.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• Three published or unpublished writing samples for which you were the sole, lead, or senior author.
• A cover letter:
  • ­Explain your interest in the fellowship.
  • ­ Explain how the fellowship will complement your prior education and training.
  • Describe ethical challenges that illustrate your ability to analyze difficult situations, mediate conflicts and work collegially with diverse groups.
  • Detail how these experiences led to your interest in clinical ethics
  • Outline areas of interest for independent bioethics scholarship.
  • Delineate your clinical and academic career objectives upon completion of the fellowship.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. All applicants must have the legal right to work in the United States and possess the necessary work authorization documentation. We do not sponsor work visas or provide relocation assistance.

Please submit the application to Joan M. Walker, MS, RN, HEC-C: jow9033@med.cornell.edu  Ms. Walker is also available to answer questions about the program or how to apply.

DEADLINE:  November 15, 2025

Directed by Joseph J. Fins, MD, DHL (hc), DMSc (hc), MACP, FRCP:  the fellowship is a rare opportunity for uniquely qualified individuals to participate in the Ethics program at this Ivy-League medical college located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Our established program is home to 6 full-time and 30+ plus adjunct faculty from a range of disciplines with nationally recognized expertise in numerous areas including: neuroethics, research ethics, end-of-life decision-making, advance directives, clinical ethics consultation, the unrepresented patient, ethics education, the ethics of molecular and reproductive medicine, feminist ethics, and disability ethics. In addition, our high-volume ethics consultation service serves the New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center. This setting, plus the collaboration with faculty at Houston Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, offers a unique opportunity to interact with and benefit from a particularly large and diverse faculty and patient population.