Residency in Clinical Ethics

The Royal Alexandra Hospital - Edmonton, Alberta invites applications for a full time, one year Residency in Clinical Ethics.

This residency is aimed at individuals with significant academic training in health ethics who wish to expand their clinical experience and prepare for the professional role of Clinical Ethicist.

The Position
Our Ethics residency offers a range of clinical-educational opportunities while the Resident provides services to the Hospital. The RAH emphasizes a multi-disciplinary approach to ethical problem-solving, and provides service to the culturally diverse populations of Edmonton, Northern Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and neighboring provinces. The term is from September 1, 2006 to August 31, 2007.

It is a full-time position that includes a benefits package and 3 weeks of vacation time. The candidate would ideally have taken a leave of absence, a sabbatical, or be between degrees/positions. The residency is based at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, with an adjunct appointment to the John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre (JDHEC) at the University of Alberta.

Duties
Duties include: clinical rounds in many program areas, including internal medicine, ICU/CCU,  NICU, women's health, psychiatry, emergency, and surgery. The resident will be involved with bedside ethics consultations, ethics committee meetings, teaching on a wide range of ethical issues for physicians and Hospital staff, participation at Health Ethics Seminars at JDHEC, participation in review and development of policies, etc.

Supervision and Colleagues
The resident will work closely with the Coordinator of Clinical Ethics to develop personalized learning goals and strategies for meeting them. Additional supervision comes from a wide range of experienced clinicians, including physicians, nurses, therapists, social workers, and administrators.  The resident has the opportunity to spend blocks of time with supervisors in many clinical areas, and to attend weekly meetings of  many interdisciplinary clinical teams. The resident also attends weekly educational sessions and case discussions with residents in the Royal Alexandra's Pastoral Care and Counseling Program.

The Hospital
The "Alec" is an active treatment centre of 670 beds and 109 bassinets. There are more than 47000 admissions per year and our emergency department is one of the busiest in the country. We are located in the Centre of the city and provide care to people from a broad range of socioeconomic conditions and a rich variety of ethnic and spiritual backgrounds. We provide acute services to many communities from Northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories and have unique resources in Aboriginal health issues.

The City of Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of Alberta and home to the Capital Health Authority, which serves over 1.2 million people. The city is culturally rich and diverse, and home to a number of outstanding summer festivals.  Housing prices are very reasonable. Banff, Jasper, and the Rocky Mountains are just a few hours away and offer unrivalled outdoor experiences.

Requirements:
Applicants must have significant formal training in bioethics beyond an undergraduate or introductory level.

Graduate or professional degree holders in many disciplines who have focused course and/or thesis work on bioethical issues are ideal. Mid-career professionals experienced with health-related ethical issues, as well as recent degree recipients, are encouraged to apply.

The position requires personal maturity, flexibility, and well-developed social skills. Additional training or experience in counseling or related skill areas is appreciated, but not necessary.  Canada's Immigration laws require giving preference to Canadian citizens and residents, but international applications are also welcomed.  The successful candidate will receive a stipend sufficient to cover housing and living expenses in Edmonton, as well as a benefits package.

TO APPLY:
Please include the following in your application:

1. Your Curriculum Vitae.
2. Transcript(s) and descriptions of relevant courses in health ethics, counseling, etc.
3. A 2-page letter outlining your preparation for this residency (what can you contribute to the facility and your colleagues?) and your goals (why do you want to undertake the residency?). Be sure to clarify your current work/study situation to ensure availability. A brief mention of any areas of specific interest in health ethics would be helpful.
4. 2 letters of reference giving special attention to your character and collegial traits that would be suitable for a clinical ethics position.

Please send the above materials before May 25th, 2006 to:

Gary Goldsand
Coordinator, Clinical Ethics
Royal Alexandra Hospital
1408 ATC, 10240 Kingsway
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
T5H 3V9

For further information, please contact Gary Goldsand, Coordinator, Clinical Ethics, Royal Alexandra Hospital, at garygoldsand@cha.ab.ca