The Clinic

     Even though I enjoyed reading many of the selections in our text, I would have to say "The Clinic" is my favorite. I know big shocker with me being a premed student and wanting to become a doctor in the future. However, I felt the story told by the medical student, in the "The Clinic", to be a powerful lesson about how medical diagnosis isn't just about the physical aspects of an illness. The young medical student in the excerpt had tried to diagnose a young boy using solely the boy's physical symptoms which left the student without an answer. Then when the med student consulted an actual physician, did he learn that diagnosis was not so black and white. The medical student was changed in that instant he was told the child was being abused and suffered depression. I have found that this medical lesson is very common in the novels I read about doctors and their journeys. The doctor always discusses an instance in their journey where they are faced with a patient that is difficult to diagnose because the patient is not only physically ill. This lesson acts a stepping stone for all doctors when they're learning to treat patients. "The Clinic" clearly potrayed the importance of the lesson and I enjoyed reading it because it also taught me about one of the difficulties that face physicians.

The unknown art of plastic surgery.

   

People think of plastic surgery as a glamorous career in which only the shallowest are drawn to. They think of nose jobs, breast jobs, and other cosmetic uses of plastic surgery that are used to gain beauty. This stereotype is probably strengthened by TV shows such as "Dr. 90210" where the plastic surgeon caters to the "needs" of the rich and egotistical. People are disgusted by this career, because doctors are thought to save lives, not give 20 year old women new breasts so that they can somehow feel better about themselves. I also fell into this group thinking about plastic surgery before I was enlightened of the more beautiful side of the profession.

A baby is born with a cleft palate, a deformity that would label the child as abnormal and leave the child to endure the life of an outsider. Now this tragedy is seen often in the medical field and easily fixed by a plastic surgeon. They are the ones who perform surgery in order to save a deformed child from a life of solitude and alienation. I am going to shed some light on the hidden side of the profession called plastic surgery. Plastic surgery is defined as surgery performed in order to remodel, repair, or restore body parts. Plastic surgeons repair damage to car crash victims where the person's body has been mangled from intense trauma. After surgery has been performed to repair bones and organs, they are given the task of "reconstructive" surgery. This is where plastic surgeons attempt to reconstruct abnormalities in order to restore physical appearance and functionality.

Physical appearance is an important aspect of a person's life whether they will admit it or not. A plastic surgeon knows the social and emotion effects that can occur as a result of a genetic deformity, physical trauma, etc. so their main goal is to do what they can do for their patient physically. So when you think of plastic surgery, don't give into the stereotype. Remember that plastic surgeons are the unsung heroes that try to restore beauty where fate has been cruel and unfair.

Is college really necessary?

  Most job markets today require a college degree of some kind in order to be hired or move up in rank. I strongly believe that it is necessary for companies to enforce this requirement because of the broad range of jobs our country has. A college degree shows an employer determination and a love to learn, so it would only make sense that they would hire a college graduate over just a high school graduate. Then there is the large contrast between college and high school. College education is more difficult, requires more effort, and places more emphasis on material that students need for advanced careers. College also has majors so that students can find where their interests lie and what career field they can excel in. In contrast, high school education covers a general field of material in order to give students a broad understanding of math, science, English, and art. High school education is there to motivate students to actually move on to college, where students can prepare for a career. An employer knows this so they strongly encourage a college degree, because it shows much more than your name and what degree you have. It shows character, dedication, work ethic, and most of all preparation for the job market.

THE WORLD IS ENDING.... not

     When it comes to the predictions of armagedon that seem to sweep through the country, I believe that no one has the power to predict an apocalypse. I feel scriptures or texts are misinterpreted to mean something they do not and people find some way to support their misinterpretations. Anyone that must cling to a belief that their world is going to end needs to consult a therapist or seek help because life is more than a set of dates. However I do feel that a great bit of the popularity that comes with these apocalyptic groups is the fact that some people just believe what they are told. People have trouble finding their own views so they cling to those of others in hopes of gaining that feeling of acceptance and worth.
     Concerning the several views of the world ending, there is the Mayan interpretation that states the world will end in December of 2012. Now while they might have been correct in their dating, they also predicted that humans will become so spiritual that we all become telepathic. Then there is a man named Harold Camping, who believes that the world will end in October of 2011. However if you don't know, this man also predicted the apocalypse of to be in May of 2011 and also back in 1994. Since we are all still alive and well, I think we can safely assume that Harold Camping is unreliable.

Getting away with murder.

     I decided to scan the article on msn concerning the Casey Anthony trial that has been going on for a while now. I had heard about the case from friends and coworkers but had never actually read too much into it besides the fact that mother is being accused of murdering her 2 year old daughter. Now after reading the article, I would have to say I side with the prosecution and believer that Casey is guilty of the horrible crime she has been accused. There is no way to pin the death as an accidental drowning when they found the body of the young girl duck taped and lying in the woods. As the prosecution states, "People don't make accidents look like murder, that's absurd" and that is so true. Why would a mother try to clear suspicions of murder by duck taping the body and leaving it in the woods? I'm sure if Caylee had truly drowned as the defense has stated, then she wasn't about to come back from the dead. Or maybe she was trying to hide the fact she was a neglectful mother by trying to make it look like a murder so she would not be at fault. No one knows for sure. However I feel in this case there is more evidence against Casey than there is to support her claims. They have a firm motive with pictures to support the partying lifestyle that Casey lived while having a young daughter. Then there is the fact that Casey didn't report her daughter missing until 31 days after she was last seen. An innocent person would not hide the fact that her daughter was missing unless she has something to hide herself. However when it comes to the justice system, the truth is sometimes not revealed and proper justice is amiss. In a court room without substatial evidence, it mostly comes down to who has the slickest tongue and how much money the defendent is willing to pay to keep the truth hidden. So when the jury comes to a final deliberation, I will be waiting and hoping to see that proper justice has been served to Casey Anthony for her brutal crime.

The Government Should Fund Stem Cell Research!

     I believe that the government should fund stem cell research on the basis that stem cells hold the potential to cure hundreds if not thousands of diseases. Stem cells are seen as unique because they are unspecialized and are able to become almost any type of cell. This could be of great use in medicine in that it could cure certain types of cancer and regenerate new skin for burn patients. Even studying stem cells could benefit humans because it could show us ways to prevent genetic abnormalities or even find a cure for Aids. However the main controversy that I have found is in the usage of embryonic stems cells. People argue that the formation of embryos just to harvest their stem cells is unethical because it is believed to be the same as murder. I do not believe this is so. The embryos that are formed are not far enough into development to be considered "living" but have the potential to be "living." They do not have specialized organs or a body so to believe that scientist are taking the life of a human isn't quite correct. This being said, I believe that more funding should be put towards the study of stem cells if it has the potential to greatly benefit the citizens of the United States.

The World Wide Web

     The internet is just like any other great breakthrough that we have seen in the past from the utilitilization of electricity to the invention of the wheel. In each case, we have adapted to it in way to better our lives and make life easier. The internet is no different. It has made life simpler or easier to humans in the way we gather and obtain knowledge. With this knowledge, we can then discuss it with others in order to create new breakthroughs and keep the process going. To say that the internet is a distraction, while not totally false, is to deny that it also is one the greatest innovations in communication of all time. People use to have to meet in person or over the phone to discuss topics of interest. And even then there were limits to the distance, time, and sometimes money they had to do so. The internet has changed all of this with it's multiple websites that promote interaction such as Facebook, Skype, Myspace, and so on. Millions of people use these websites to keep in touch with one another from various parts of the world. The internet has created many oppurtunities for people to interact so that people may discuss the next BIG idea that might even be better than the internet. Who knows what the internet could create with its vast array of available knowledge and freedom of communication.