Author Archives: Kelsey McDavid

Is there meaning in a world without human limitation? Is there value in human finitude?

In this week’s presentations, there was some mention that a healthcare provider needs to see him/herself as the patient’s hope. What is the role of hope in medicine and healthcare? Does hope not make us more vulnerable?

We began this week’s classes with a reference to the Haitian myth of Anacaona, the Golden Flower. At the end of the recent Candler concert dedicated to this great goddess, a member of the audience rose to address the musician … Continue reading →

Some critics of (radical) environmentalism argue that as our concern for the environment increases, so does our neglect for the human poor. What do you think? Does the way we define “environment” influence how it ought to be included in … Continue reading →

In her guest lecture, Professor Patterson made reference to poet and eco-activist, Gary Snyder, who says that you can “choose to live in a place as a sort of visitor, or try to become an inhabitant.” Comment on the relevance/application … Continue reading →

What is your perception – and what would you say is contemporary medicine’s perception – of “complementary and alternative medicine?” This week we learned about Professor Quave’s ethnobotanical approach to drug discovery. Is what she does “complementary and alternative medicine” … Continue reading →

Answer one of these two questions: 1.       Does/should happiness require the resolution of conflict? What are the implications of your answer to this question for the practice of medicine and public health? Be sure to make reference to this past week’s … Continue reading →

Professor Wolpe described the complexity of the clinician-patient encounter, underlining a myriad of important factors/dimensions that play into this dynamic. At the same time, he reported that – typically – it is only really a matter of seconds after a patient … Continue reading →

Please use this week’s material to address the following prompt: If disability is an important part of a person’s identity, should we conserve disability rather than try to “fix” or “cure” it? Think of the implications of your answer here.

In your last VoiceThread, you talked about what happens to patient care when the healthcare provider and patient do not see eye-to-eye on matters of faith. In this ScholarBlog, let’s use Courtni’s question in class today as our guide: (1) … Continue reading →