The challenges for clinical ethics education in Europe

The experiences of bioethics education tend to be provided at three levels. At undergraduate level a more general approach to bioethics is offered that may include both medical and non-medical students. Post graduate education may be formal, usually at advanced degree of doctorate level, or part of continuing professional development, either in the form of a course in clinical bioethics or through experienced gained by sitting on a clinical ethics committee. Two of these postgraduate approaches--a Masters programme in bioethics and the experience gained in developing a Hospital based bioethics programme--are considered in more detail in this presentation.