Rose Peckham

Biotech 1000

4/22/2022

Applications and Ramifications of Gene Editing with CRISPR-cas

What sort of implications does editing the human genome have? Are there moral or ethical ramifications behind changing the basic DNA structure of an organism? For most of human history this has been a rhetorical question with no real means of actualizing such a process or even being able to understand what such a process may entail. Within the last decade researchers have been able to revolutionize the field of genome editing and bioresearch. This has fundamentally changed the way we have to view and utilize biotechnology. The end result is yet to be seen and only time will tell what the answers to these questions are. CRISPR its impacts on biotechnology and the future of the human genome are only scratching the surface of what new possibilities this biotech has had.

CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, which refers to a method that was recently discovered that allows researchers to precisely edit and potentially alter DNA sequences using a protein called cas2 (Yang, W.). The ability for humans to be able to modify cell DNA and change the structure and function of genes really opens up a plethora of possibilities and far reaching applications within a variety of feilds. One of the areas of study include animal gene editing. This is significant because the amount of people with inadequate access to food globally is rising. This is due to a number of reasons, but one of the most significant is disease and how it can affect crops or livestock. Utilizing CRISPR “gene-targeted somatic cells can be used as donor for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) to produce gene-targeted animals with single and identical mutations” (Zhou, X.). While still in the early stages of research the amount of success in terms of altering genes successfully is promising. This is especially promising when considering the technology is still relatively immature and advancements in methodology, processing, and technique continue to rapidly develop.

What are the ethical implications of this biotechnology? Considering the potential for its applications it’s reasonable to suggest there are far reaching ramifications. If we can develop disease resistant crops does it become our moral obligation to do so? If we can remove disease from crops or animals then what about altering human genes to remove disease? If we choose to alter human genes then what about removing genes we find detrimental? Or what about adding genes that we think are beneficial? Without considering the consequences for these actions, there is the ultimate possibility of unintended side effects with every change we may make. This is why diligent research is needed to discover all the potential with this biotechnology. With all these questions in mind some groups have called for a complete ban on all human genome editing. Without really understanding what may be the results of dangerous research researchers should be wary of pushing those boundaries without full consideration.

While there is a lot of focus on the potential negatives, the real positive implications are fundamentally groundbreaking and have the potential to save millions of lives. Disease kills hundreds of millions of people every year, being able to edit and disable the genes that cause illnesses and untold suffering should be pursued as a net good for the species. Researchers were able to correct a genetic disease within a mouse using CRISPR (Wu, Y.). Removing disease from a living animal is groundbreaking in the field of biotechnology and one of the reasons for the existence of biotechnology. While the future is uncertain in terms of what developments we will see within our lifetimes, we can be certain that they will change how we view biotechnology and its impacts on our lives in a fundamental way.

Yang, W., Tu, Z., Sun, Q., & Li, X.-J. (2016). CRISPR/Cas9: Implications for modeling and therapy of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2016.00030

Zhou, X., Xin, J., Fan, N., Zou, Q., Huang, J., Ouyang, Z., Zhao, Y., Zhao, B., Liu, Z., Lai, S., Yi, X., Guo, L., Esteban, M. A., Zeng, Y., Yang, H., & Lai, L. (2014). Generation of CRISPR/cas9-mediated gene-targeted pigs via somatic cell nuclear transfer. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 72(6), 1175–1184. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-014-1744-7

Wu, Y., Liang, D., Wang, Y., Bai, M., Tang, W., Bao, S., et al. (2013). Correction of a genetic disease in mouse via use of CRISPR-Cas9. Cell Stem Cell 13, 659–662. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2013.10.016

Rose Peckham

Human Biology 1090

5/2/2022

Signature Assignment ePortfolio Reflection

In light of my completion of my Spring semester course in Human Biology, I have chosen to share my reflection on the case study that I completed my final project on, Opioid Addiction. With any college class, you can expect an agenda of readings, quizzes, and discussion posts to be included in the expected coursework - but the best part, aside from the general plethora of new information that I am able to digest, are the case studies. These assignments are absolutely the ones that I choose to be as engaged and thoughtful as possible when doing, and I would say the reason for that being is that I feel I get the most overall out of them. They require me to think critically while also holding space for compassion and empathy in the highest regard, as afterall, these are about fellow humans just like me. We touch on real-world issues that require more than just your own individual perspective and demand that you are viewing things from a scientific lense. The takeaway from each case study leaves me feeling enlightened and passionate about the topic. For a little bit of context, I work in clinical research at the University of Utah. One of our research studies is an established surveillance network that collects information on maternal, infant, and child opioid addiction patients throughout multiple states - I am responsible for abstracting the charts of these patients to obtain demographic information, their full medical and social histories, test results, delivery outcomes, etc, and they are shared with the CDC. Everyday, through my computer screen, I read about the lives of women and children who have had their lives turned upside down and inside out by addiction. And even today, I truly cannot even completely grasp how complicated and intense dealing with such a diagnosis can be. While I would not say that the case study project changed my view on science, it did however provide a deeper insight into why biologically this may happen to some people and not happen to others. It was extremely informative in the way that I now have a more solid foundation of understanding what exactly an opioid addiction is, what it does to you, and the myriad of consequences aside from strictly legal ramifications and rehabilitation (which a lot of my job also consists of.) In my research for this project, I would not say that I saw scientists actively engaged in public policy debates when it came to my internet quests, simply because I tried to use mostly published research studies that are not meant to reflect personal opinions of these individuals. However, I will say that I work for a handful of amazing scientists and physicians who do care about these issues and do discuss their stance in light of Utah policy surrounding the community and who it affects, and I am privileged enough to be able to view these ideas through their eyes on a near daily basis. That being said, my case study really pushed me to think about public policies surrounding addiction and the viciousness of legal and social ramifications that everyday people go through. Each experience is unique to the individual and their circumstances, and yet it often feels as if we could be doing better for our patients in terms of accessibility to medical resources and expanding rehabilitation efforts. While I am not an expert on the topic, I do wish that others were more aware of the psychology behind addiction too. Yes, you may understand exactly what happens when an opioid enters your body, but it seems to me that if more people truly knew about and understood what it meant to be truly addicted to something, that there would be more outreach and advocacy for these issues. It is not as simple as “do not drugs” or “just stop being addicted”. An opioid addiction completely rewires your brain, and it does not just change in the physical sense, but also in a deeply emotionally traumatic sense. I would say I feel the most impact when it comes to viewing this issue through a patient’s eyes versus one of a healthcare professional. There is truly a stark difference when you look at a topi

Archaeology to me has always meant "old stuff". It's easy to take the word 'archaeology' and simplify it into just the recovery of things. In a way, yeah, I suppose it is, but now the definition to me personally has expanded and is actually way more diverse than I had really thought it could. The term has added layers of meaning to me now. When I think of archaeology I think of all the material culture and human activity being recovered, analyzed, and interpreted. Before, I saw this as an exact science. Now, it feels just as appropriate to also see it as a social science.

I'm not sure that a lot of my assumptions have changed, but it's interesting to look back at a handful of my other Anthropology electives ( as I am an Anthropology major.) and see how the various areas of this degree build upon each other more and more, the closer I get to graduating. For instance, I took a science course called Human Origins where we dived deep into the biology of mankind and evolution. In this course, a lot of concepts discussed in this course really add a social and cultural perspective to the "science" side of what I learned in Human Origins. It's become easier for me to develop more of an opinion, to contribute to theories, etc, instead of just saying "I don't know enough to have a fully formed opinion." which is what I used to do. I absolutely loved all the Lab projects we did, such as the Evolution Lab and Cattle Breeding Lab. It  was an immersive and creative way for me to further understand certain practices/ideas while also being proud and excited about what I had to write. I definitely wish we had done way more of these throughout the course to be honest!

In the future I think I will look at archaeology more openly and with more patience; instead of demanding immediate answer. I have learned Archaeology can be interpreted and perceived very differently from one person to another and also continues to evolve. I think an open and explorative mind is key to truly understanding and being able to participate in the education of world prehistory.

Anthropology 1030: Controversy Paper (3)

Key Controversy: Dairying and the Domestications of Humans

Sariah Rose Peckham Salt Lake Community College ANTH 1030

December 3rd, 2018 2

The adoption of dairy farming has long since been a large controversy when looking back at Holocene Europe and the tools used in the development of agriculture. Many would argue that the origin is obscure – even though it is recognized that the earliest domestication of sheep and goats was roughly 7000BC-9000BC, there is no actual proof that milking was ever done. (Simoons, 1979). The textbook argues that some think that the origin was in the 4th millennium BC, but most popularly, the theory with the most evidence would be that dairying occurred when the Bandkeramic took care of their cattle herds in the 6th Millennium BC. Some placed the origin of dairying towards the north, in areas such as Scandinavia, Poland, and Northern Germany. (Scarre, 2013)

On a second note, the human genetic of lactase persistent I think is really important to know and understand about when looking at the various perspectives for this controversy. Lactase persistence is basically the body’s ability to process the lactose of dairy products from the appropriate enzymes (Gerbault, 2011). Since it is a genetic mutation and considered an inherited trait, we are able trace the origin of lactase persistence to its initial mutation and that can also give a good idea on when and where dairy would have been consumed after mankind learned to dairy-farm.

The most popular theory for dairying settles on the Neolithic Bandkeramic farmers in Europe. Lactase persistence is common among most of Europeans. Researchers were able to detect milk products by conducting studies in various like isotopic, metagenomic, proteomic, ancient dental records, and even by evaluating modern day eating habits. (Hendy, 2016) Personally, I can see why this is the more reasonable and popular explanation. From the understanding I’ve gained from lecture and my studies, a popular thought train seems to be that through the years of human evolution and every sub-area under the sun the falls in it, is that the

various methods of that humankind learns and evolves different things, can pop up at different times in our historic timelines, even if their physical point of origin is really far away from each other. I do think it is highly possible that dairying happened according to this theory, but it also would not be wrong to suggest or think that similar forms of it also happened around the world, or in nearby areas, etc, as well. If this were the case too, I don’t think it dairying would have happened by means of acculturation. I say this because I was curious if it could have been possible but so far no the textbook nor any research journals give me a reason to think otherwise.

Albano Beja-Pereira took a slightly different approach in researching lactose persistence and the origin of dairying – he focused solely on cow domestication, knowing that societies have a long history of exploiting dairy producing animals and using milk as a food resource for thousands of years. Beja-Pereira and his colleagues tracked milk proteins in Neolithic cattle genes, and ended up mapping out where the alleles originated from on a geographic map. Little blue dots signified the earliest trace of that origin and mainly was scattered across all of Europe and Turkey, with a lot of the blue dots originating right out of Germany. This is where he would come to conclude that it is possible that the origin of dairying came right out of the Germany area. (Beja-Pereira, 2003) What I like about Albano’s research is that he also suggests a coevolution between humans, human culture, and domestic cattle. If I understand correctly, there’s not only a biological evolution but also a significant culture evolution which would be the reason that we now can study lactase persistence in Europeans too. It’s like the history of animal domestication prior to the tracking of genes.

I feel like that would be an added layer of depth of understanding in dairying from a more cultural perspective. In conclusion, I pretty much always seem side with the theory that has a very hard scientific and biological point of origin and research method – although I do like Beja- Pereira’s approach to dairying as well. 

Citations

Beja-Pereira, Albano 2003 Gene-culture coevolution between cattle milk protein genes and human lactase genes.

Nature Genetics 35(4)

Gerbault, Pascale 2011 Scarre, Christopher. 2013 The human past: world prehistory and the development of human societies. Thames & Hudson, London

Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences366(1566): 863–877

Hendy, Jennifer

2016 Origins of Dairying in Ancient Europe Project. Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. Oxford University Press

Scarre, Christopher

2013 The Human Past: World Prehistory and the Development of Human Societies. Thames & Hudson, London

Simoons, Frederick J 1979 Dairying, Milk Use, and Lactose Malabsorption in Eurasia: A Problem in Culture History

Anthropos vol. 74(1/2): 61–80

Psychology 1010 Signature Assignment

Part II: Critical Thinking

Mental illness, to this day, is still very misunderstood. I believe that there are several contributing factors to why this is so. Psychological health as a whole is still quite misunderstood and often times invisible, especially compared to physical illness. Science is periodically and rapidly changing, social norms are commonly broken and built, and I think patience with society as a whole comes into play when trying to engage a conversation on mental illness.  There are older generations who grew up seeing mental illness in a different way and it can be hard to change your perspective after believing something for so long.

Mental illness is portrayed in a variety of lights and through various channels: Film/TV Media, social media, historical context(as in what we used to know vs. what we know now.), inaccurate research studies, propaganda, etc which can either desensitize or cause alarm to the public which in return pushes stigma too. I also believe that people with a physical illness do not always face the same sort of generalization that people why mental illnesses always do - even though physical illness can be just as detrimental to someone’s else as psychological issues do.

The best way to resolve this issue would be to realize that it is not a fight over who is more oppressed or deserving of treatment, as it weakens the overall community and separates what is important to the collective strength of treatment for people across the board.

As a current medical student, I see the need and use for psychiatric labels. Often times, you see these terms translating to social buzzwords quite haphazardly. I don’t want to invalidate people who claim things such as, “I have severe anxiety because I am nervous about this wedding.” or, “I am so depressed.” after a bad test grade - these are very real emotions but normally are not mental illnesses. It is easy in this day and age of technology and the more accessible ways of communicating with the world to get lost in social jargon, but it is also shows how it can be harmful to those actually experiencing debilitating illnesses.

English 1010 Course Reflection

Course Reflection

Writing has always been very important to me and played a huge role in my life. Generally as a hobby, I free write.  I also like to think writing essays is not the end of the world, as long as you are willing to put in dedication and effort! Before this class, I was never truly forced to reflect upon language, how we use it and why, or the fact that writing is a deliberate process that comes with many strategies, choices, and moves. I now feel like I see writing in a more technical perspective. I think I am now more readily equipped with different tools/strategies to better construct papers from now on. I have always known that language and writing is important for many reasons, but I didn’t truly understand until I did the unit one portrait. I did not realize that a lot of my compassion and patience comes from the writing I do literally every day. I liked that project because I got to know more about me as a person, and it was actually a fun assignment. Unit 2 was so much more of a process, because we were asked to take a lot of time to figure out HOW I as a writer, or anyone else, makes choices to create great pieces of academic literature. I actually never saw it as a process of deliberation and now I do, but like it a lot because I feel like I can be better equipped to write better papers. I really enjoyed learning about the rhetorical strategies. I suppose I have always known that I use them but you don’t actually think about it until you yourself are picking apart an essay!

Unit 2 Project - English 1010

Sariah Rose Peckham

Justin Jory

English 1010

27 July 2017

Unit 2: Rhetorical Analysis of Comparing Two Texts

Both Blue Collar Brilliance by Mike Rose and Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew Crawford share a similar theme: valuing the basics and importance of manual labor. While I feel Rose brings a more whimsical, emotional tone to the table, Crawford presents with lecture and technical style – this allows the readers to feel the passion for both of their main ideas but on completely different ends of the spectrum. Rose wants the audience to remember not to overlook the ones in society who work in blue collar jobs, as there is so much more going on cognitively and physically that goes far beyond what the eye can see. Crawford’s focus is on the importance of learning manual trade skills. In return, he wants the audience to know that there can be much pride, independence, and an abundance of value in learning a trade/craftsmanship.

Mike Rose’s biggest rhetorical strategy to compliment his main points was his use of storytelling and imagery. It was incredibly effective for the audience as you are able to develop a visual perception of his stories while also making an emotional connection because of his personal attachments. Whereas Matthew Crawford drew from the strategy of claims of fact and value – this appeals to the reader by forcing you to reflect on what is being said and what he means by saying it.

Rose writes, “I couldn’t have put it in words when I was growing up, but what I observed in my mother’s restaurant defined the world of adults, a place where competence was synonymous with physical work. I’ve since studied the working habits of blue-collar workers and have come to understand how much my mother’s kind of work demands of both body and brain. A waitress acquires knowledge and intuition about the ways and the rhythms of the restaurant business. Waiting on seven to nine tables, each with two to six customers, Rosie devised memory strategies so that she could remember who ordered what. And because she knew the average time it took to prepare different dishes, she could monitor an order that was taking too long at the service station.” (Mike Rose, Blue-Collar Brilliance) as part of his introduction, and it provides the reader with vivid imagery of his mother Rosie and the prioritizing and organizational skills she has acquired. It gives a more valuable and emotional insight to the intelligence and discipline Rosie has because of her blue collar position – the purpose of this would be to connect you, the reader, to his mother, Rosie.

It is clear that Rose wants you to look at blue collar jobs in a new light and with newfound respect – he expresses his take on the modern working industry by saying, “Our cultural iconography promotes the muscled arm, sleeve rolled tight against biceps, but no brightness behind the eye, no image that links hand and brain.” This is a beautiful string of words that appeals to the mass depiction of what most of society believes blue collar jobs to look and feel like. It is true, too! By carefully shaping an image of blue collar workers with his verbal metaphor, you are able to better resonate with what Rose is trying prove to the audience. The visual stigma sucks you in and forces you to reflect upon it. 

Rose’s entire article is incredibly engaging due to his storytelling depictions. The audience is left impacted with the fact that his general focus was that we often overlook the values of such workers and jobs rather than the thought, time, and often meticulous environments that our people work in.

Matthew Crawford uses his claims of fact and value by saying, “Craftsmanship entails learning to do one thing really well, while the ideal of the new economy is to be able to learn new things, celebrating potential rather than achievement. Somehow, every worker in the cutting-edge workplace is now supposed to act like an “entrepreneur,” that is, to be actively involved in the continuous redefinition of his own job.” (Matthew Crawford, Shop Class as Soulcraft) Here, Matthew is laying fact of what craftsmanship actually entails and the value that follows! Simultaneously, another fact of the matter is that now cutting edge workplaces want you to have different work ethics so that you can be actively involved in a constant change instead of being good at the one thing you know how to do. I like that it is giving you insight into the facts of today’s modern working world but also allows you to look back on the values of what it has been. This effectively allows the reader to think beyond ideals of just going to college for the education. Crawford really wants the readers to be able to reflect on their current educational and career pathways.

Crawford also takes time to elaborate on his main idea by sharing facts about cars, of all things. He says, “At the same time, an engineering culture has developed in recent years in which the object is to “hide the works,” rendering the artifacts we use unintelligible to direct inspection. Lift the hood on some cars now (especially German ones), and the engine appears a bit like the shimmering, featureless obelisk that so enthralled the cavemen in the opening scene of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Essentially, there is another hood under the hood. This creeping concealedness takes various forms. The fasteners holding small appliances together now often require esoteric screwdrivers not commonly available, apparently to prevent the curious or the angry from interrogating the innards. By way of contrast, older readers will recall that until recent decades, Sears catalogues included blown-up parts diagrams and conceptual schematics for all appliances and many other mechanical goods. It was simply taken for granted that such information would be demanded by the consumer.” This shares fact that manual trade work has become more efficient throughout the times, more quickly to be resolved rather than what it used to be. Lots of time, sweat, effort to get your car rolling again. This small paragraph points out that trade work is not as needed as it used to be anymore, and this appeals to the audience by forcing you to think of the value of all of the material things in our life that are handmade by people around the world. As a reader, you’re left going, “Oh, I didn’t think about it like that before.” Following this, the 2001: A Space Odyssey reference shows a secondary strategy use of tone/voice to his readers. He does this so that readers of all age can relate to what he is saying and better understand the depth of what he is trying to explain by comparing it to a very popular cult film.

Both writers had an audience in mind when writing their articles: I believe that overall, the essays were geared towards individuals who are currently working on a certain career path, and pursuing this by educational means. This can be validated because both essays were published on scholarly websites where many students, alumni, and educated like-minded people may visit often. More specifically, I’d say the aim of both essays was to open a door to young students in a perspective direction that which allows them to reflect on blue collar work and the importance of not forgetting how important service industry and manual trade jobs are within society.

In conclusion, Rose and Crawford both created analytical and thoughtful articles by using rhetorical writing strategies.  Both authors demonstrate intelligence and compassion in their own respective pathways by finding unique ways to express their points and solid supporting ideas. Rose leaves his audience with a newfound perspective of blue collar positions, and society’s reflection upon them, no matter the role.  Crawford manages to quite literally persuade you into taking up manual trade and/or a craftsmanship for whatever purpose, as there are many.

                      Works Cited

Rose, Mike. "Blue-Collar Brilliance." Theamericanscholarsh.org. Phi Beta Kappa, 1 June 2009. Web. 27 July 2017. <theamericanscholar.org/blue-collar-brilliance/#.WYTzY_ZlLcs>.

Crawford, Matthew B. "Shop Class as Soulcraft." Theatlantis.com. The Center for the Study of Technology and Society and Ethics and Public Policy Center, Summer 2006. Web. 27 July 2017. <http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/shop-class-as-soulcraft>.

Unit 1 Project - English 1010

Patient, Fine, Balanced and Kind

By Sariah Peckham

English 1010

    Skinny Love by Bon Iver is a song I think everyone should listen to once in their life - at one point in time, you’re going to feel as if you have sunken lower than whatever is below rock bottom. You may have experienced this feeling multiple times throughout your years. As a young teen, no matter the hardships or setbacks I faced, my mind always found its way back to a specific string of lyrics from this song. “I told you to be patient, and I told you to be fine, and I told you to be balanced, and I told you to be kind.” Take whatever meaning from this as you will. Personally, patient, fine, balanced, and kind have always been a deep-set mantra I have tried to live up to and grow with. Through these various exercises in analyzing my own writing, I’d like to think that I have confirmed my practice of the symbolic meaning of the words patient, fine, balanced and kind. My sense of self-identity can be tumultuous at times, but through various data collection methods, I was able to verbally and visually realize the above stated traits formed because of my writing. I’m going to show how my identity is portrayed in my writing situation and the purpose it can provide. It is certain that particular aspects of my writing work to develop my persona, which is a reflection of who I am today and am continuing to grow to become.

  I’d like to give brief context before digging in. I work at Sutter Physician Services - essentially, a call center for medical administration. I use a medical tool known as Epic, which services its purpose as a large-scale medical records system that holds confidential patient data records. As calls come through to me, my various duties include a variety of administrative functions. For our patients, I am able to provide compassionate care by scheduling their doctor’s appointments, sending messages regarding their patient care to their physician and medical care team, assist in refilling medications, etc. I will be using the term ‘encounter’. Essentially, an encounter is a way to send a message. I would think of it as creating an email. You open a “new” message within Epic, type the documentation, then route to the appropriate party. I use a smart phrase in an encounter, depending on the type of call (in which I have to use critical thinking skills to decide what smart phrase is most appropriate.), which populates generated on need. For example, if a patient requests a medication refill request, I could use smart phrase .medication refill, which generates a set of guideline questions I need to ask in order to attain an appropriate amount of information. These smart phrases are pre-programed into epic, all I have to do is type their ‘name’ into the documentation and it will populate for me to fill in the blanks. My writing skills are needed every day in order to serve purpose for my workplace and its patients.

      Here are several images of encounters that I had to write.

  1.

          2.

                    I was inspired by the assignment to annotate as it was the most verbal way for me to understand contextually what service I am providing and how this fits into the idea of balanced and fine. I say balanced, because it is imperative that I am forming a cohesive, structurally sound piece of writing so that anyone who reads it, may fully understand the language, emotions, and credibility of myself and of the caller. It also calls to the source material, and how any text I type does in fact rely on other people to make claims and build evidence for the request, whatever it may be.

Pictured below is my colorful analysis of how I broke down the call.

    The purpose of this text was to relay to the medical office that a medical lab order from an urgent care physician needed clarification before the specimen could be processed. Ruby, the representative calling from Quest Diagnostics,  provided the exact name of the order, including the date, put in by this urgent care physician so that the office knew who and when to check the system for in order to complete the request. The smart phrase helps me to structure my text for the call’s given purpose. That way, no information is left out and not too much information is given – unnecessary information can cloud the purpose of a call, and the bolded questions are there to help guide the flow of my conversation in a professional but quick manner.  Please advise is to show a form of respect to the medical personnel – my message is more likely to be responded to quicker if I am polite in requesting what needs to be done.  Overall, I feel I have created an organized and smart encounter that is respectful and to the point. This is what fine documentation looks like in my line of work.

    Second, I am going to explore by self-observation. Visually, this was my favorite part to be able to analyze. I was able t to observe my body language, which says everything when speaking to someone, over the phone or not. This could fit under the value of kindness, which is essential to providing great medical care.

.

  You can clearly see I am keeping my eyes on my computer screen, fingers at the ready of the keyboard. My attention is respectfully on the caller to assist with patient scheduling. It can be incredibly easy to be on your cell phone, fiddling with your hair or clothing etc., which takes away from offering someone your undivided attention.

              Although there is no face to face interaction, kindness means everything. A smile or frown is easily detected on a call. My body language, even in the face of a computer screen, shows patience and kindness as I thank the caller for allowing me to help her. This is one of my favorite aspects of this job - writing or not, kindness can be the #1 tool on any call and makes a difference, no matter the caller. I too, know the patient can hear a difference in my tone, and often I am given praise for generally being a kind person. Which says a lot, as I feel kindness should be a given in any situation even though most times it is not.

    I like to think I have gained patience from working with Sutter Physician Services. Unfortunately, I cannot give full credit to that. Sometimes, a caller is incredibly difficult - situations seem impossible, especially when there is only a limited amount of information I can give out, or certain ways to help. At times, callers are rude and occasionally vulgar. It puts a damper on my mood and at times, my entire day. This is when I like to reflect back on my personal history. From experience, I know how confusing and difficult dealing with your own, real life medical situations can be. The medical system often feels slow, you often don’t feel heard, especially when a lot of communication is not always in person - instead it is over the phone. When it is in person, most doctors cannot spare more than 30 minutes of their time as others have just as important, if not more important issues to also attend to.

  Last summer, a worrisome lump appeared in my armpit. I had to have surgery to remove it. The recovery was rough. Pain medications were not enough, and healing time was slow. I had made several calls to my surgeon in this time to express the pain I was feeling, and needed advisement on how to proceed. The response given was that I was not allowed to receive more pain medication, as I had already been given an extra refill. The issue at hand was that I had not called for another supply of narcotics, it was because I was experiencing unusual symptoms and pain was progressing instead of getting better. I felt I had patiently explained numerous times to the administration answering service what my concerns were, and they were clearly not reflected back to my surgeon. I must have made 5-6 calls and waited at least 7 days before I was given more medical assistance. I became anxious, and had to fight to keep from using accusatory languages towards the receptionists. Turns out, I was having an allergic reaction to my stitches, which created a very large blood clot. Scary, right? It took me personally having to come to my doctor’s office for them to fully understand what I was trying to relay to them. I was treated, thankfully, and since then recovery was stable.

  I am so glad I continued to have patience instead of taking a different route of handling this situation. I chose to be patient because I know what it is like to not fully understand someone’s full medical history, or even a fraction of what they have endured - just like the receptionist who took many of my calls. From my difficult surgery, to my everyday writing situations, I’ve concluded that I have truly been able to gain a deeper understanding of becoming patient, fine, balanced and kind. Every day I work to be better, not even just with my job, but with my own personal interactions with society. I have gained everything by being patient when I have none, fine and balanced in my work duties, and kind to everyone, despite our individual situations.

The Problem of Evil / Final Paper

The Problem of Evil

Final Paper Assignment by Sariah Rose Peckham

Philosophy 1010

2017

                                            I have chosen to dissect the philosophical problem of evil and its given implications. For a large portion of society, the belief in God has always been reverently debated while also remaining as a strongly upheld religious ideology for centuries. One might argue that the question, “Does God exist?” holds the title for the most examined question and debate the world has ever had to morally deal with.  To quote David Hume, “Epicurus’s old questions are yet unanswered. Is he willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Whence then is evil?” [1] Here, Hume adequately summarizes the conflict that the problem of evil produces. This is the most powerful argument that gives society reason to believe that God does not exist. I am going to provide two solutions that I have researched to help bring closure to the problem of evil.

              A simple Google search for ‘God’ defines: “(in Christianity and other monotheistic religions) the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the Supreme Being. Human evil is suffering caused by humans acting in a way that is considered morally wrong (rape, murder) while natural evil is suffering caused by events that have nothing to do with humans – i.e., earthquakes, tornadoes. [2] If we exist in a world that offers such harm, how can God allow these threats to continuously happen? If God is omnipotent, then wouldn’t he have had the power to stop Hurricane Katrina? If God is omniscient, shouldn’t he know how to prevent suffering? If God is omnibenevolent, that would mean is he is all-loving or infinitely good. Why would God allow bad things to happen to good people? This seems contradictory.

                          Peter Kreeft, an American Philosopher, has four parts to his solution that rallies for the existence of God and solving the problem of evil. Kreeft states, “The unbeliever who asks that question is usually feeling resentment toward and rebellion against God, not just lacking evidence for his existence.” [3] He elaborates to quite a depth, but essentially the four parts are as such. (1) Evil is not a thing, but a wrong choice. (2) The all-powerful God gave us a share in his power to choose freely. (3) The Cross is God’s part of the practical solution to evil. Our part is to repent, to believe, and to work with God in fighting evil by the power of love. (4) The phrase, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” makes assumptions. Who is to say we are good people? Who is to say suffering is bad?

            I am trying to keep an open mind as Kreeft considers these fundamental parts of Catholicism and Christianity. Overall, if you share this belief, his reasoning is sound. I find it totally difficult to accept as you would have to believe you are on this earth to repent for God. That you are “here” because someone gave you the will to be. I think there can be adverse reactions to this belief.

From American philosopher William Lane Craig, “When one says ‘solved’ one means ‘philosophically resolved’”. He references an admission explored by Alvin Plantinga, another well-known American philosopher that resolves with, “As the Christian sees things, and God does not stand idly by, coolly observing the suffering of His creatures. He enters into and shares our suffering. He endures the anguish of seeing his son, the second person of the Trinity, consigned to the bitterly cruel and shameful death of the cross. Some theologians claim that God cannot suffer. I believe they are wrong. God's capacity for suffering, I believe, is proportional to his greatness; it exceeds our capacity for suffering in the same measure as his capacity for knowledge exceeds ours. Christ was prepared to endure the agonies of hell itself; and God, the Lord of the universe, was prepared to endure the suffering consequent upon his son's humiliation and death. He was prepared to accept this suffering in order to overcome sin, and death, and the evils that afflict our world, and to confer on us a life more glorious that we can imagine. So we don't know why God permits evil; we do know, however, that He was prepared to suffer on our behalf, to accept suffering of which we can form no conception.” [4] So basically, God created the universe and has permitted this evil and has a good reason for doing so. This would mean there is no contradiction in theism. This definitely puts things into a different perspective that I found very fascinating. From what I understood, the evil is justified because God has endured it already. The question then changes to how can God be justified to us in this world, but how we can be justified to God.

              There are of course many other conflicts with the problem of evil. William S. Hatcher would say it is logical to deny altogether that evil exists – therefore an all-knowing, all-powerful God is plausible. [5] C.S. Lewis, well known author, has the idea that evil is a necessary good, therefore God can exist too. [6] Everyone seems to have complications with everyone else’s ideologies. I have found there are always holes to one’s thought process, no matter which way you try to configure it. It’s a complex problem that everyone seems to think that they have a simple solution to. I have found this isn’t the case but at least I have been given the chance to reflect on other perspectives as well as my own.

            Bibliography

  David Hume, Dialogues concerning Natural Religion, ed. with an Introduction by Norman Kemp Smith (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1980), Part X, p.198.

BBC - GCSE Bitesize: The two types of evil." BBC News. BBC, 2014. Web. 27 Apr. 2017.

Kreeft, Peter. Fundamentals of the Faith. 1st ed. N.p.: Ignatius Press, 1988. Print

Craig, William L. "The Problem of Evil | Reasonable Faith." ReasonableFaith.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2017. <http://www.reasonablefaith.org/the-problem-of-evil>.

Hatcher, William S. God and the Problem of Evil . 1st ed. N.p.: Blackwell, 2001. Print.

Lindsley, Art. The Problem of Evil. C.S Lewis Institute, 2003. Journal.

End of Term Philosophy Reflection

I’ll admit, this class quickly became the most challenging for me this academic term. Before this class began, I thought I had, at the very least, an idea of what I was getting myself into. I figured I would be able to know or quickly understand many of the terms, concepts, and theories ahead. Intro Philosophy proved to be so much more than simply understanding vocabulary. Like my professor Jeffrey Wood told us on the first day of class, a lot of the class content would be thinking about thinking. I don’t know why I assumed I knew things about philosophy as initially I thought it was just about life and the respective perspectives. It turned out that every moment of my life, whether it be decisions, moods, thoughts, actions, etc all related to everything we talked about in some form or another. I had come to realize that deep down, maybe I hadn’t thought about philosophy or the existence of being, thinking, and feeling as much as I had thought I did. This class flipped a light bulb on in my mind – I wish I could say it was one of those nice, big fluorescent ones that fills a room with brightness, but it was more like a dim yellow lightbulb hanging in a janitor’s closet. I do mean this in a respectful way; as at least I feel so much more comfortable in saying that I can hold a semi-intellectual college freshman conversation about Confucius or Marx now, and that has brought a nice wave of confidence and inner inspiration within me.  

End of Term "This I Believe"

1. Patient autonomy should stop when … a patient has shown an inadequate ability to assess their own situation and make personal choices. From this course, it is more deeply ingrained into me that health care providers and the structured system need to be providing as many resources and supportive tendencies as possible to that patients can be capable of understanding their situation and reacting based off of the informed information given.

2. Medical research should … continue to be a priority in the medicinal world. Medical research has become very important to me the more I have learned about it through our various subjects like HIV and women in medicine. Research has advanced what we know and structured our systems. It is how we continue to save lives or even to better them. I am comparing what I said at the beginning of the semester and this is hilarious to me because it appears I had no idea what I was talking about. I am genuinely confused by what my point was….so I am sorry you had to read that!

3. Genetic testing for the future should . . . continue to be researched so that we can better understand the fundamentals of human DNA/genomes. I still believe information needs to be left publically available and that my perspective on this goes along with the same philosophy I have about medical research. Only now do I see some ethical issues with genetic testing which has allowed me to reason why putting regulations/rules on certain genetic testing. For example, the entire “designer baby” situation, in which parents can pick and choose what genomes/dna their child may have.

4. Egg and sperm donation should be … legal and an option for women and men. Although I see a new side of ethical complications such as donating solely for the purpose of financial compensation or lying to do so… I still think egg and sperm donation can be a truly wonderful thing with the proper regulations put in place.

5. Abortion should/should not be … remain legal and accessible for women everywhere. I find it so hard to budge from this so I’d like to refer back to what I said originally. I don’t believe life begins at contraception and adoption is not always the best option. It is up to the women, solely, to decide whether she would like to terminate a pregnancy. I do believe that at a certain gestation age, abortion should only be an option if pain/suffering will be caused to the baby or mother’s life is at risk. But these laws are already in place and I am ok with this.  

6. Treating or terminating impaired infants should be decided by … the parents. After learning more about this topic, I still feel that it can be incredibly draining emotionally and physically, for parents and healthcare providers, to treat an already suffering infant. This can be a huge financial burden too. Other children may lack the attention and care from their parents too, given an awful situation such as a newborn having severe health issues. I do still think physicians need to advocate for life as much as possible, but do feel it is fair to suggest a time in which sustaining life may have more negative impact than positive.

7. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should be … LEGAL! Thanks, How to Die in Oregon. My position has not changed on the legalization and social acceptance of this practice. If anything, I have seen have more brutal and agonizing it can be to life with a terminal illness or having to come to acceptance with such a choice. Ultimately, with caution and informed consent from a doctor to patient, euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide should be one of the last resort options.

8. Payment to organ donors or their families should be … not applicable. I also believe it depends on the situation, my thoughts still parallel with what I believe at the beginning of the term. It is a personal decision for someone to become an organ donor – paying family shouldn’t be a right and it seems a little unnecessary. Financial compensation may be a good incentive for living donors but now there comes in the possibility of the black market and whoever pays the highest gets organs… my opinion is a bit swayed there, actually. I think the lines become blurred but I still would remain on the side of it is ok to give financial compensation to a certain extent.

9. Allocation of health care should/should not be considered based on a person’s age/quality of life/ability to pay… I still agree with what I said originally. This course has made me feel even more deeply in the belief that everyone deserves basic healthcare – regardless of class, gender, or race. I believe it would better structure the community and the healthcare system. I was able to better understand why allocating medical resources could pose a problem if they were only limited tor certain paying patients.

10. Medical research for women should … become more inclusive to women everywhere. What I learned re-informed similar ideas I had to medicine’s gender bias. Studies continue to show that women are excluded from scientific research which results in adequate healthcare at times. Although it is clear more attention has been shed on women’s health, more can and should be done to better treat women across the nation.

11. Health care for minorities should be . . . a given. Integrated healthcare for racial and ethnic minorities poses a huge threat to the healthcare system. It is better to treat minorities and provide basic and decent services so that their preventative health can be up to date and does not pose worse health problems in the future. I think we have a lot of good advocate’s in place to rally and organize better an integrated healthcare system for racial and ethnic minorities. They already struggle enough and it compassionate as well as ethical to treat our minorities the same as everyone else.

12. Those with AIDS/HIV should … be treated fairly and with compassion. They should have access to proper drugs to help with their HIV so that it does not lead to AIDS. I am appalled at some of the travel regulations that are out there. I feel more strongly from the plethora of information given to me about how HIV/AIDs patients have been and continue to be treated. I believe there is a sad but definite stigma about HIV/AIDS that some of society still continues to conquer and it is a battle worth fighting. I still stand firm that doctors need to encourage honestly about their patients’ sexual activity to ensure the spread of the virus does not happen.

13. My opinion has changed on … because … OR My opinion has not changed on any of these issues because …

  My opinion has not changed drastically on these issues, but I have gained more perspective and knowledge on why other people think the way they do, or why the healthcare systems treats people. There are several issues here that I think I may be swayed positively if I knew – but otherwise, I have become almost neutral on some – or at least more understanding of why others think and do the things that they do.

philosophy and donuts

Welcome! My name is Rose and this is my ePortfolio I have created to showcase signature assignments during my Salt Lake Community College academic road – the goal is that the literary pieces I have written over the years will be able to project an ideal self-image for any user visiting this portfolio: compassionate, driven, and altruistic.

As a pre-med student in love with the world and community of social and biological sciences, I find myself actively involving myself in the scientific community.

At 21 years old, I have chosen to work as both a medical administration and an autopsy assistant for the Utah State Medical Examiner’s office – forensic pathology is something I am incredibly dedicated to and passionate about, and have since I was a young child. Through my academic career, I have received certifications in nursing assistance and as an emergency medical technician. I think it is important to validate my emotional experiences and challenges by staying involved with the medical community.

As I complete my undergraduate biology degree at SLCC, I hope to eventually apply to the University of Utah for medical school to begin my official training as a doctor. Over time, I hope to see personal growth and change in my work the older I get through various courses and experiences in my undergraduate career. It would be nice to eventually work for Doctors without Borders and help other young and aspiring doctors sharpen their technical and compassionate skills.

If there any questions, concerns or comments, please email me at [email protected].

Thank you!

HS Course - I Believe: The Beginning

This I Believe

From what I have researched, patient autonomy is not necessarily allowing patients to make their own decision for their medical care by their own free will, but puts more emphasis on educating patients so that they can understand their situation more adequately; thus resulting in a more rational and informed decision in terms to their own health. I’ve sat and thought about the matter of when patient autonomy should end - and it is tricky because I have always passionately held the belief of, “My body, my choice.” But what if your patient has shown an inadequate understanding of what they need in order to live a healthier lifestyle? What if your patient is terminally ill and does not want to take your own recommendations after years of studying and school? You can’t force someone to do what you think is best, or even what you believe may be right. All you can do is encourage these individual to pay attention to their body and educate them to understand any risks that might be on their path. It seems almost political to insist on an end to patient autonomy - and in that case it is no longer an abstract idea or right. I think that the only exceptions where a patient’s autonomy may be subject to intervention is when a patient is acutely or even permanently incapable of assessing their own situation and making decisions. And in cases like that, I think it is best to extend the same respect of educational information about a proposed intervention to the patient’s legal guardians/caretaker.  As a healthcare provider, it your job to study medicine and promote a more sustainable lifestyle; and not to play the hand of God and force medical interventions on individuals.

    When it comes to medical research the Hippocratic Oath comes to mind. I have this absolutely gorgeous book (with pictures!) that goes into depth about the Hippocratic Oath and how it came to be and why it is so important to today’s society. The general summary of this oath involves codes such as honesty, objectivity, integrity, carefulness, openness, respect for individual property, responsible publication, etc. These are all values that should be held in high regard at all times when it comes to research in medicine and should definitely be aggressively encouraged. In addition, I feel like there has been a lot of grotesque mistakes involving century’s worth of trial and error in medicine. An encouraged reliance of evidence based medicine would create a whole new era in the world of health science, and in a different way than what we know. The “normal” body temperature of 98.6 F (as determined by physician Carl Wunderlich) came to due to him averaging out the temperatures of 25,000 patients that he oversaw and maintained. This concluded that 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit was an average body temperature and anything in that was just weird. Another physician decided to test this theory years later and actually created his own body temperature study himself. The physician, Philip Mackowiak, was actually allowed to use the same thermometer that Carl Wunderlich had used. What Mackowiak found was that his big, outdated thermometer actually tested at two degrees centigrade higher. It’s not a huge different but it is still a difference. Long story short, it seemed Wunderlich had very simplistic thinking and did not heavily rely on lots of evidence whereas Mackowiak did and found a different average body temperature. So the evidence of what the average body degree was according to Mackowiak, literally centuries later, indefinitely disrupts a lot of other medical research and studies. This is just one example of how and why I believe medical research should be improved on via evidence based trials.

    Genetic testing for the future should remain an international quest so that we the people can better understand the fundamentals about human DNA/genomes. I think all research should remain open to the public without restrictions. People have the right to adequately understand common diseases and environmental factors. From what I have learned, genetic testing is extremely common in every day medical practice. Genetic testing can be as simple as blood pressure checks to more intricate testing such as fingerprint mapping of tumors. I think genetic testing for the future would continue to benefit mankind by training researchers and developing technologies.

    Egg and sperm donation should always be an option for women and men out there. I believe it is completely beneficial for the donors to offer their eggs and sperm for several reasons, i.e. financially and emotionally. I think all of the positives would outweigh risks and most people completely understand this before diving in to any procedures.  Upon researching men donating sperm, I have formed the opinion that they should have the right to remain anonymous to the sperm bank. When donating sperm and eggs, you go through some pretty extensive testing and that should be enough for whoever is accepting the sperm/eggs. Biologically, egg and sperm are not living fetuses or anything quite near that vein (yet) so the donor should have no legal obligation once the offspring is created. Upon using Google, there is a pretty unbelievable claim that if a man donates too much sperm, his children can end up marrying their half siblings. To prevent this, there is a limit to how much sperm a man can donate. That is a reasonable solution to that problem, and I believe an argument for women can be made on that basis as well.

    Abortion should be completely legal. This is one topic I personally feel well versed and very passionate about. This is where I would like to bring up the “My body, my choice” argument. It is completely unethical to subject a woman to a pregnancy that she does not want to follow through with. Adoption is not a logical alternative as there are already 20,000+ children in foster care who have not been adopted. Life does not necessarily begin at conception which I know is a controversial thing to believe in the eyes of some. If abortion were illegal, this procedure would still continue to happen. Back alley abortions are incredibly dangerous and will still happen regardless of a law change. It is better to provide safe reproductive care choices to all women. Late term abortions are extremely rare, I would like to point out that under almost all circumstances, later term abortions happen in life threatening situations to the mother and/or fetus. Carrying out pregnancies has hundreds of risks as well so a woman should be able to choose if a pregnancy is something she would like to proceed with. It is not up to the government to decide for her. The government needs to stay far, far away from women’s reproductive rights.

    Treating and/or terminating newborns ultimately should be left up the decision of the parents. It can be incredibly draining to continue to treat a suffering infant. It can be financially and emotionally heavy, as well as lead to the neglect one’s self and other family members - especially if there are other small children in the family. Terminating a newborn is an incredibly hard decision I can guarantee no parent would ever want to make, but sometimes it can be the best option for everyone involved, as sad as it is. That being said, the physician should advocate for the rights and quality of life of the infant. The physician should be sure that the family is well informed of their options and of the pros and cons. I hope to learn more about this because although I am pro-choice, an infant is entirely different matter. I am trying to stay as neutral as possible because I have been pondering ideas such as whether an infant has a realization of his/her own mentality and if an infant would have their own respectable rights.

    Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should be legalized throughout the world. I believe it should be one of several “last” resort options. Most people are not suicidal once diagnosed with terminal illness… most people wish they had cures to their diseases or diagnoses. When you’re terminal, your quality of life can and more than likely will diminish. I think that dying with dignity, and dying comfortably and safely, is a far better treatment than having to die a terrible death. No one should be forced to suffer. If patients can choose palliative and hospice care, why not peaceful euthanasia? I am a very compassionate person and feel that this procedure is compassionate within itself to help relieve the suffering of others.

    The families of organ donors should not receive compensation. It is a personal choice for someone to choose organ donation. The donors themselves do not receive any compensation, so why should the family be obligated money because a personal choice was made? There are different situations in which I can see how receiving a payout may be positive; such as minor children who have died. If International Donor Services (IDS) decide to pursue organs of an infant/minor, then it may be applicable to offer compensation to the decedent’s family. If we are talking in terms of living donors, I believe that reimbursement would be a fantastic incentive to saving lives but even then, the families are not paid for this.

    I have always held a strong belief that everyone deserves basic healthcare regardless of class, gender, and race.  I believe that basic healthcare would benefit from being structured from the overall public/population. I believe this can strengthen the community as a whole and would encourage others to maintain their own health. If you’re a physician, allocating medical resources can pose a problem if benefits are limited to certain patients. It does not seem ethical to practice medicine if you cannot fulfill moral obligations your patients. (I mean this in terms of doing everything that you can to serve a patient.)

                Medical research for women should be more inclusive to women everywhere. As a female, I’ve come to somewhat understand the murky waters of medicine’s gender bias. Women have very unique health issues overall, but still, scientific trials/research often overlooks them. I found a plethora of popular diseases in which many women have suffered or even died from due to a lack of awareness and scientific information. These articles conclude that a lot of women are not included in trials as much as they should be, or their issues may not be taken as seriously due to their gender. (If you have ever heard of “hysterical females”, this is something to keep in mind on that note.) I believe there is a modest gender gap in the healthcare industry and that the science profession should progress with more inclusive clinical trials on women’s health.

                  From a substantial amount of research and through the perspective society, it seems that racial/ethnic groups fare with poorer healthcare services. Health care for minorities should be equal for all, and the socioeconomic and racial gaps should have measures taken to narrow it. This falls right in line with my views on how accessible healthcare is and who it should be accessible to. I believe it should be affordable and available to everyone. Sure there are a lot of culture barriers that prevent some from getting better/any healthcare at all, but these are all improvements the world can make one.

      I believe that people with HIV/AIDs deserve to live a happy life. I know that HIV+ people can still have HIV- children. Not to mention you can definitely find people who will love and accept you. HIV/AIDs medication should be accessible to ALL infected. Helping to stop HIV/AIDs would be to prevent, test for it, and treat it. I believe that everyone should be tested for these two diseases because it is the only way to know if someone has it - not to mention the morality that is involved if you are sexually active. HIV/AIDs patients should also always tell any partner they would like to have sexual intercourse with, or honestly even begin a romantic relationship. HIV and AIDs can severely impact the quality of life and you should be legally penalized if you have sexual intercourse without telling the partner if you are aware of your circumstance.