The following appeared in Volume 98, Number 1 (Fall, 1998) of the APA Newsletters

As the new chair for the Philosophy and Medicine Committee I want to use this inaugural column to solicit ideas from the membership regarding the tasks which this committee might undertake during the next three years. In the past we have focused most of our effort on planning the three divisional programs for which we are responsible. To a lesser extent we have worked to improve the quality of this newsletter, with great appreciation for the work of Rosamond Rhodes. Are there other tasks that merit our time and energy?

I wonder, for example, whether we ought to be doing more for younger philosophers who are responsible for teaching courses in medical ethics, and who see this as a significant area of research for themselves. Speakers for our APA sessions are mostly there by invitation, which means they are more established scholars. This has the practical advantage of increasing the size of our audience, but it does deny younger scholars an opportunity to become known. What other avenues might be created for giving younger medical ethicists visibility?

Maybe we ought to try to organize four or five day summer conferences. I have in mind the model of the North American Society for Social Philosophy. That is, these are family-friendly conferences situated at natural summer vacation sites. We would try to find less expensive lodging (local college dorm rooms), with morning and evening presentations that allow for a long afternoon off to enjoy the amenities of the area. We would make a special effort to reach younger scholars in medical ethics as presentors for such a conference. Is this something that those of you who are younger scholars would want to take advantage of?

Another option might be what I would call an electronic seminar. I know this is technologically possible because one of our Ph.D. candidates, Scot Yoder, taught an experimental medical ethics course this way last semester through the Internet. What I would have in mind is choosing a recent book in health care ethics, or a thematically related series of articles, as the focus of such a seminar. Again, participants would be relatively younger scholars in health care ethics. If we chose a book, we might see if that author could be a regular participant in that electronic seminar. Enrollment might be limited to 10-12 participants. This could be organized for a semester or for an academic year. Is this something that readers of this newsletter would like to see attempted? If you think this is a good idea, let me know via e-mail [mail to: fleck@pilot.msu.edu]. If you have some specific suggestions for concretizing this idea, send those along as well, either to me, or to Rosamond Rhodes (if you want them published).

In the meantime here are the sessions currently on tap for the coming year.

Topic: Minority Distrust of the Medical Establishment
Session Organizers: Rosamond Rhodes, Larry McCullough, and Robert Gooding-Williams
Program:

• "American History and African-American Distrust of Medicine," Cherly Smith, MD (Mount Sinai School of Medicine)
• "Trusting Under Pressure" Laurence Thomas (Syracuse University)
• "Minority Distrust, Distributive Justice and the Allocation of Health Care"
• Howard McGary (Rutgers, State University of New Jersey)
• Chair: Rosamond Rhodes (Mount Sinai School of Medicine)

Topic: Physician-Assisted Suicide and the Doctrine of Double Effect
Session Organizer: Don Marquis (University of Kansas)

Central Division: 1999 (May 5-8), Hyatt Regency, New Orleans

Topic: Pragmatism and Bioethics
Organizers: John Arras and Larry McCullough

Members of the Committee on Philosophy and Medicine welcome suggestions concerning topics of sessions the committee should sponsor. Please contact any current members of the Committee. Current members include: John Arras (University of Virginia), Larry McCullough(Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Houston), Lisa Parker (University of Pittsburgh), Rosemarie Tong (Davidson College), Rosamond Rhodes (Mount Sinai School of Medicine), Dan Wikler (University of Wisconsin-Madison), and myself (Michigan State University).

Leonard M. Fleck, Chair
APA Committee on Philosophy and Medicine
(517)355-7552
FAX (517) 353-3289
fleck@pilot.msu.edu