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.

The supreme court ruling in the Walmart case

     In the Walmart case, I agreed with the ruling that the supreme court decided upon. I felt that it was unfair for a handful of women employees to pursue a class action in representation of all women employees. Understanding that there is a strong possibility that women are being discriminated against in some of the Walmart work environments, I still feel that the women who pursued the lawsuit were being selfish in a way. They should have filed their own individual cases against Walmart instead of assuming that all women shared their opinions. However I feel that the substantial difference in money that could have been won in a class action rather than individual lawsuits also fueled the plaintiffs decision. Walmart is seen as one of the largest corporations in the world, but in the lawsuit I felt they themselves were being discriminated because of such. Most workplaces in America have some troubles with equality, not saying they should not fix these problems, and Walmart itself should not be discriminated against when the problem is most likely in certain stores.

What would you attempt if you KNEW you couldn't fail?

     Well first off I would attempt to fly if there was no possible way for me to fail! However I think I will stick to achieving goals that I know are plausible. If I knew that failure was not an option, I think I would try to become a surgeon without any formal training. Then I would just jump from specialty to specialty knowing that I couldn't fail at any procedure I performed. I'd attempt to find a cure for Aids and Cancer because we really need to get rid of those two. I'd also develop a new type of prosthetic that was acted as a fully functioning arm or leg because lets face it the prosthetic ones we have now, while innovative and effective, just aren't cutting it.
     Switching to another set of goals I wish I could achieve without failure. I would post a facebook status asking whoever the person is I am going to marry to "poke" me because it has to work right? I would attempt to make sure that all of my close friends could go to school while also being able to be hang out whenever we liked. Then to fix every ones financial needs I would grow that money tree that my parents told me didn't exist. Man, wouldn't that make them mad and happy at the same time like a "cheerful rage". Finally I would make sure that my family, friends and myself were happy with what they had so we could all not have to worry about the stress of tomorrow or be angry that we have to wake up early. However with the exception of the "money tree", all of these goals are achievable in one way or another and I know that I will NOT fail at achieving the goals I have set for myself.
 

My education prior to college was NOT adequate to prepare me for college!

     When I entered college for my freshman year in 2010, I definitely noticed the differences between high school classes and those of college. In high school, I had been an honors student making mostly A's without having to put much effort into the classes. Then during my freshman year of college, I had to work hard in every class so that I could make sure maintain a A or even just receive a B. High school classes babied students with material that required minimal effort to excel in. We were then left to fend for ourselves when we stepped into a college classroom and the material, we were required to know already, took a few days to even grasp. The only classes I felt that prepared me for the academic shift to college level was that of AP courses which were made to prepare students for college. Beyond those, I felt that most students being honors or not were not adequately prepared to take on the academic hardships that is college.
     In high school, we are spoon fed material in the form of broad powerpoints and long class discussions. We hardly have to crack a book open in order to be prepared for the test because the teachers give us all we have to know. The only thing that required much effort in high school was the act of getting up to make it to school on time or even half way through. High school classes are made to give students a broad understanding of many topics without really going into depth.
     Then there are college courses, where class is composed of very detailed powerpoints or book discussions where we are assumed to already know that days material thoroughly. Then to prepare for exams, students must read the book or practice problems over and over to even have a speck of confidence of doing well. In college, everything requires a disciplined work ethic in order to survive the drastic changes that come with graduating high school. If I had to characterize college in a few words, it is preparation for the real world where life isn't so broad but more about reading between the lines.

Man vs Machine (continued)

     I felt that in my last post I tried to explain a broad subject without using many examples to help you understand it all. Using my favorite, friendly neighborhood serial killer Dexter Morgan, I will try to discuss an aspect of the man vs machine argument. If you are a die hard fan or have ever watched one episode of Dexter you will probably find out that Dexter is a serial killer who works as a blood splatter analyst for the police. He has a sister who also works for the police and also has a girlfriend/wife with two step kids. With that brief description of dexter's life I will now get back to the man vs machine discussion. In the first season of Dexter when you first meet dexter, you notice that his personality is cold and meticulous. He is that of a machine when he kills, which he mostly justifies, in the way he prepares the "kill room" and performs the deed. His precision in his craft is so accurate that he has no worries of even the slightest hint that the police will ever find out about his nightly hobby. This personality and precision is held constant for most of the first season of Dexter.
      However as the show continues into further seasons and dexter starts becoming more involved in his personal life, you notice that his craft starts break down. He starts to make more and more mistakes to the point where he endangers the life he so painstakingly built for himself. If you analyze these later seasons and try to find the reasons for his deteriorating abilities, you will notice that his machine like habits start to dwindle in certain instances. Why is this you might wonder? Why would a cool, calculating killer's skills start to sag? Well the main reason I observed when I watched the seasons myself was that as the show goes on, dexter begins to develop deeper emotions and empathy for people. In each season after the first, dexter starts to develop stronger feelings for his loved ones, becoming more human in a sense. And as this transformation becomes more and more evident to the viewer, you notice that his mistakes become more evident. The empathy that dexter develops in turn becomes his biggest hindrance while also becoming his greatest accomplishment. Dexter knows the dangers he puts himself into by trying to help more people with his craft besides himself but he continues to do it because I feel it helps him feel normal. His life in turn starts to mean something besides that of just a coverup and this makes dexter happy to an extent. In the end, dexter is happy to lose some of his mechanic instincts in order to feel human for his family because what is life without the love of and for others.

Why am I motivated?

     As a student, I always found myself striving to outperform the other students in my class whether it be in solving a calculus problem or finishing the class reading first. One of the best ways I found to keep myself going in high school and college was to find someone, anyone that I could create an academic competition with. I would find the one person, in my all my classes, that I felt was at the same mental level as myself and would try to outperform them in the material. This meant scoring higher than them on everything which included tests, quizzes, homework assignments, and even just a single problem that we both found to be extra challenging. Then when I failed to beat my rival, I told myself that next time I would try harder so that I would come out on top.
     However even though healthy competition is an excellent way for me to test myself, this form of self motivation is not strong enough to keep my spirits high. If I really had to think about what motivated me, I would have to say it was the fact that I want to make my family and even myself proud. I know I have the potential to be great, but the only way it will be enough is if I can look myself in the mirror 20 years later and say "I did it." Everyday I tell myself that I need to try harder so that I can assure my family that I am on the right path to prestige and success. However there are some days when I start to doubt myself and think that I won't achieve my goal. I push through those thoughts by thinking about my two younger brothers who look up to their eldest and my parents who pay for my college because they have faith in me. These reassurances along with the confidence I have in myself are what keep me treading with barefeet down the rough road to medicine.

Man vs Machine

     I find myself wondering what medicine in the future will hold with the advances scientist are making in biotechnology. I find this question to be one of the main concerns that the physicians of my novels try to address. They make comparisons and give eamples of studies that were performed in order to compare if machine can really surpass man in the medical field. I found that in both novels I read, not saying this is a fact but more of an opinion, the main factor that contributed to the faults in mans' cognition was that of the complexity of human emotion. While a machine could perform procedures and interpret test results with great acccuracy, man was found to make more mistakes. The degree of which a machine was found to out perform man were slight but still showed me that technology in medicine was just in its early stages. Who knows what could be accomplished in future years.
     These thoughts on the subject of man vs machine fill me with great awe, but also gives me a sense of worry with my goals of becoming an accomplished surgeon. If machine was found to better man more substantially in the future, then what would become of surgeons or physicians who are just not up to par? I find this thinking daunting but not overpowering because of an ace that man has up their sleeve. What could be this trump card you say? Well with all the accuracy of machine, I feel it will never match the care that physicians feel for their patients. That's what makes a doctor to me. Don't get me wrong I want a excellent surgeon to perform surgery on me or a brilliant physician to give me a diagnosis. However what would really reassure me that I was in good hands is knowing that that person performing my surgery is doing so because he cares about my health. In the end a doctor should be a mixture of man and machine where the accuracy of robotics meets that of the empathy of man. That is what I strive for to find that midground so that even though I am prone to eventually error, I will always be able to give my patients the care they deserve.

Why did you choose the career for which you are preparing?

     I've never known myself to shy away from sickness, gore, or things people would say are "gross." I was the student who became excited in high school when hearing we had to dissect a fetal pig in Biology. I relished the opportunity to figure out how that animal functioned or had once been able to survive in this world. Even though that fetal pig had already passed when it was handed to us to dissect, I knew that what fascinated me the most about it that there was a career where I could perform such procedures to save a person's life.
     In high school, most career choices just didn't appeal to me like medicine did. I found amazement in the skill of surgeons to perform intricate procedures while a patient was under anesthesia or a doctor diagnosing a patient using his vast knowledge. The choice became clear to me that the only career I felt I would be happy doing for the remainder of my life was one in medicine. As a student, I was in good standings because of my high grades in math and science so I entered college with high hopes. I chose to become a Biology major so that I could work closely with the material I would be learning in medical school. However becoming a doctor I know now is not so black and white. To even be considered in medical school you must have great credentials such has a high GPA and MCAT score. Knowing this I have sometimes found doubts in my planned career choice, but when I really get to thinking about what would make me happy I find that the medicine is my only choice.