Internship report Antje Schnarr

Report on my internship at the Institute of History, Ethics and Philosophy of Medicine at Hannover Medical School

I am in my third semester of the Philosophy-Arts-Media study programs at the University of Hildesheim. In Hildesheim, special emphasis is placed on linking theory and practice. This practice is mostly of an aesthetic nature and I was curious to get to know a different way of relating philosophy to practice. This context led to me completing a six-week internship at the Institute of History, Ethics and Philosophy of Medicine at the MHH in February/March 2018.

During this time, I gained a general insight into everyday life in research institutes and, in particular, an impression of various areas of research ethics and bioethics. I was able to gain this by working on or assisting with various ongoing projects. For example, I was able to carry out independent research and help prepare and participate in an international workshop on the development of a new method in bioethics. I was also provided with literature to familiarize myself with various topics. This also encouraged me to work on topics independently and to write my own texts, which I was able to discuss with my supervisor (Dr. phil. Marcel Mertz). In addition to these specific tasks relating to research ethics, I was also given the opportunity to take part in various courses for medical students on clinical terminology and a seminar on justice in healthcare for the Master's degree in Public Health.

Overall, it can be said that the activities I pursued during the six weeks were carefully selected by my supervisor and enabled me to gain a general impression of the context of bioethics and medical ethics, but at the same time also provided me with some in-depth insights into specialized areas.

I can also say that there is a good atmosphere at the Institute and that all the staff were very open to me and my questions, which enabled some interesting discussions, including interdisciplinary ones.

Best regards
Antje Schnarr
March 2018