By Leah Pierson
Academia often treats all areas of research as important, and two projects that will publish equally well as equally worthy of exploring. This, I believe, is misguided.
Instead, we should strive to create an academic culture where researchers consider and discuss a project’s likely impact on the world when deciding what to work on.
By Leah Pierson
The financial barriers associated with becoming a bioethicist make the field less accessible, undermining the quality and relevance of bioethics research.
Because the boundaries of the field are poorly defined, credentials often serve as a gatekeeping mechanism. For instance, the recent creation of the Healthcare Ethics Consultant-Certified (HEC-C) program, which “identifies and assesses a national standard for the professional practice of clinical healthcare ethics consulting” is a good idea in theory. But the cost of the exam starts at $495. There is no fee assistance. Given that 99 percent of those who have taken the exam have passed, the exam seems to largely serve as a financial barrier to becoming an ethics consultant.