KCU Students Win Inaugural Bioethics Bowl

Osteopathic medical students enrolled in Kansas City University’s Masters in Bioethics dual-degree program debated bioethical issues in medicine and won first place in the inaugural Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Bioethics Bowl held virtually on January 24.

Dr. Ryan Pferdehirt, KCU instructor of Bioethics, coached fourth-year student Euna Kim, third-year students Tanner Riscoe, Fatima Bilal and Paul Creger and second-year student Kaitlyn Schuberth as they competed with students from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, as well as students from Touro-California College of Osteopathic Medicine who organized the competition.

The teams were given scenarios and in response presented cases and offered rebuttals to three osteopathic physician judges. 

“We are incredibly proud of these student doctors,” KCU Bioethics Chair Dr. David Sine said. “Ethics is about an acknowledgement of values and the emphasis on weighing values that we employ . . . the KCU ethics program helps align future doctors with systems of thinking about patient values, beliefs and cultures. In patient-centered care, these skills have never been more critical, and the Bioethics Bowl provides an opportunity for those critical physician skills to be demonstrated and tested.”

The KCU winning team received a trophy and $250. All team participants received a gift for contributing, and judges received gifts for volunteering.

“It’s so important to learn and work with student doctors at other institutions," Bilal said. “I was able to share my passion for Bioethics with other student doctors, and I was exposed to fresh ideas. Through this (dual-degree) program, I’ve learned to approach clinical cases with more than one frame of mind. As a third-year, I feel that my bioethics education has helped me succeed in clinical rotations because I bring a fresh perspective to the table.”