Interest in Bioethics

Since I have decided to embark on a career path in medical sociology, the topic of bioethics has interested me. I have been particularly interested in ethical issues surrounding pharmaceutical companies, but I have also branched out into issues such as patient advocacy and a physician’s role in patient care. I have taken several courses that have allowed me to explore these topics, such as Philosophy of Biomedical Ethics; Sociology of Health and Medicine; Anthropology of Medicine, Culture, and Society; Public Health Study of Disease and Epidemiology; and Public Health Global Societies.

After I learned about the Tuskegee Study, my interests have increased within different areas of biomedical ethics. While learning about patient’s rights, I found that there can be many gray areas that bring about a lot of concern for patients. This can cause many patients to stop seeking treatment, or to have a bias against physicians. These areas can be corrected with proper research and awareness, which is what I have involved myself in.

My desire to work with the AMA stems from my love of biomedical ethics. Policy initiatives and journals about ethics are where I would be able to blossom, as I would excel in researching and presenting necessary information. I would love to contribute to the conversation, regardless of the topic. Any topic found in ethics sparks my interest, and the opportunity to involve myself is what I strive for. I believe ethics is the basis of many issues that we are faced with in the medical community today, and I would be very interested in starting to build a foundation here.

In learning about issues such as vaccinations and disease prevention, I found that there are several factors that influence a parent’s decision regarding their child’s vaccination. When beliefs like these are not founded empirically, there is room for improvement, research, and promotion.  

Ethical issues are faced every day in the practice of medicine. This position is ideal; to be on the frontlines through contributing to policy initiatives and literature reviews. In my eyes, the best way that I can do this is to put my skills and experiences to use by working at the AMA. I would excel by gathering research and presenting them in articles which medical educators, medical actors, and patients alike can involve themselves and form their own thoughts and opinions. My goal is to help these parties make the most informed and comprehensive decisions possible when they face ethical issues.