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fandomhigh2006-09-07 09:45 am
dr-jwilsonmd.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2006-09-07 09:45 am
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The Philosophy of Values: The parallels between the Medical and Magical Communities.
Thursday Period 3 (10-10:50am)
Wilson had decided to set his classroom up in the style he was familiar with from when he taught back at Princeton Plainsborough and so it was laid out in a tier auditorium style the way the medical classrooms had been set up. This also allowed him to run slides up on a white screen rather than subject the kids to his handwriting, which even for a doctor, was horrific.
This morning, he was already in the classroom, seated behind the desk, sipping on a tall mug of coffee and flipping through a book. On the desk sat, not brownies but a full spread of bagels, creamcheese (plain, almond, veggie), lox and coffee for any weary souls still in need of a pick me up. As the students came in and settled, Wilson checked his watch then quickly reviewed the sign in sheet before standing up.
“Good morning.” He began with a smile.
Walking around to the front of the desk, he waited for the students to quiet, then began to talk.
“I swear by Apollo the physician, an Asclipios, and Hygieia, and Panacea, and I call to witness all the gods and all the goddesses, to keep this oath and agreement according to my ability and my judgment. To consider him who taught me this art the equal of my parents; to live in common with him and if necessary to share my goods with him; to look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art if they so desire without fee or written contract; to impart to my sons and the sons of him who taught me and the disciples who have enrolled themselves and have agreed to the rules of the profession, but to these alone, the precepts and the instructions. I will prescribe a regimen for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgement and abstain from offending them or harming them. Never to prescribe a deadly drug to anyone even if I am asked, nor give such advise. Neither will I give a woman a pressary to procure abortion. But I will preserve the purity of my life and my art. I will not perform an orchiectomy on any man even if he asks me, yet leave this task to the person who occupies himself with this type of work. In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional injustice and harm, and especially from the aphrodisiac contacts with the bodies of women or of men, whether they be free or slaves. Whatever I see or hear in the exercise of my profession or outside my profession in my communion with men, which ought not to be divulged, never to reveal it but to keep it as a secret. If I keep this oath faithfully and not violate it, may I enjoy my life and my art, respected by all men and for all times. But if I transgress it or forswear it may the reverse be my lot.”
[ooc: Physician’s Oath by Hippocrates (c.460-400 B.C.)]
Pausing Wilson gave the students a moment to absorb what he’d just reeled off and took a sip of his coffee to wet his throat.
“All right, obviously a few of those points are not as relevant now as they were back in 460-400 B.C. There is, after all, not much call for orchiectomies these days and most of we males are glad of it. There is also the whole teach without fee, I was paying off my med school debts until I was thirty and the bit about the aphrodisiac…well…that is actually a nod towards the idea of not sleeping with patients rather than celibacy, because if doctors were celibate our heads would explode.”
Straightening, Wilson set the coffee cup aside and began to pace.
“But this raises an interesting point. Obviously the language of this original oath is not entirely applicable to the culture and society of today, however the basic foundation of the oath is still sound. Do no Harm whether it be intentional or by breaking the guidelines set in the oath, this is the basic philosophy that a medical professional is expected to adhere unto. However, is this guideline attainable by the mortal being?”
Wilson paused and then shrugged.
“This is based upon Aristotle’s declaration that ‘Mansentient vampire, sentient cat like creature, whatever is roaming around Fandom is a logical ethical political animal.’”
Setting his hands on his desk, Wilson hopped up onto it and grinned at the class.
“We’d like to think so I imagine but the other side of that argument is that ‘Man is essentially the outward appearance of DNA.’ The idea that ‘Life is DNA’s way of making more DNA’.”
The grin grew a little impish and Wilson sat back, leaning on his hands. “So, which is the reality and which is the appearance? Do we wrap ourselves in the comforting façade that we as sentient beings are thus ‘logical, ethical, political animals’ in order to obscure the cold reality that we might be little more than DNA trying to replicate itself? What is it about our reality that keeps us from such a basic definition?”
Wilson hopped back down off the desk and walked to the overhead, flipping it on where a slide (thankfully *not* in his handwriting flipped up onto the screen).
“Physicians’ Duties toward their Patients: I will prescribe a regimen for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgement to abstain from offending them or harming them….”
“Physicians’ Duties toward their Fellow Physicians: To consider him who taught me this art the equal of my parents…
“Physicians’ Duties towards their Medical Students: To look upon his children as my own brothers…
“Physicians’ Expectations of Themselves as Physicians: If I keep this oath faithfully and not violate it, may I enjoy my life and my art, respected by all men and for all times. But if I transgress it or forswear it may the reverse be my lot.”
Tapping the last one with his pen, Wilson moved back out in front of the class.
“These are my realities. They are the four guidelines by which I seek to define myself into a philosophy that depicts me as a logical, ethical, political animal rather than a strand of DNA to be replicated onward. These are the guidelines I use to help me see through each unique challenge that comes to me to get to the truth of my perception of the challenge and my motivation for confronting it.”
Putting his pen back in his pocket, Wilson hopped back up onto the desk.
“Now, that’s me and as I put in the description for this class, guidelines are going to be individual to each and every one of us and this class is not meant to change anyone’s personal guidelines. Rather it’s here to make us away of them and aware of our own philosophy and what we truly value. That said, I’d like each student to now introduce themselves, say whether you believe you are a piece of DNA or a logical, ethical, political animal and if the latter, give us one guideline you feel anchors you in your search for the reality of a situation.”
In the last few minutes of class, Wilson handed out the the syllabus as he spoke.
"For your homework, I want you to think about what we discussed in class today and also start reviewing the list of books on your syllabus or start thinking up a text you might like to use for your project. I'm going to want to start getting a list of who is taking what text together not next week but the following week's class."
[ooc: Obviously there will be much handwavey of the actual reading and writing up of the project but have fun with it! :D]
Finishing with the syllabus handing, he walked up to the chalkboard and tried to write out in a legible manner.
"Also my office hours are Mondays 9:30am-11:30am, Thursdays 11:00am-1:00pm and of course by appointment. You'll find my phone numbers on the syllabus, don't hesitate to call if you need to and please if you know you're going to be out of class due to parent, gremlin or zombie attack, please let me know."
[ooc:Please wait for the OCD threads up! Class in session]
Wilson had decided to set his classroom up in the style he was familiar with from when he taught back at Princeton Plainsborough and so it was laid out in a tier auditorium style the way the medical classrooms had been set up. This also allowed him to run slides up on a white screen rather than subject the kids to his handwriting, which even for a doctor, was horrific.
This morning, he was already in the classroom, seated behind the desk, sipping on a tall mug of coffee and flipping through a book. On the desk sat, not brownies but a full spread of bagels, creamcheese (plain, almond, veggie), lox and coffee for any weary souls still in need of a pick me up. As the students came in and settled, Wilson checked his watch then quickly reviewed the sign in sheet before standing up.
“Good morning.” He began with a smile.
Walking around to the front of the desk, he waited for the students to quiet, then began to talk.
“I swear by Apollo the physician, an Asclipios, and Hygieia, and Panacea, and I call to witness all the gods and all the goddesses, to keep this oath and agreement according to my ability and my judgment. To consider him who taught me this art the equal of my parents; to live in common with him and if necessary to share my goods with him; to look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art if they so desire without fee or written contract; to impart to my sons and the sons of him who taught me and the disciples who have enrolled themselves and have agreed to the rules of the profession, but to these alone, the precepts and the instructions. I will prescribe a regimen for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgement and abstain from offending them or harming them. Never to prescribe a deadly drug to anyone even if I am asked, nor give such advise. Neither will I give a woman a pressary to procure abortion. But I will preserve the purity of my life and my art. I will not perform an orchiectomy on any man even if he asks me, yet leave this task to the person who occupies himself with this type of work. In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional injustice and harm, and especially from the aphrodisiac contacts with the bodies of women or of men, whether they be free or slaves. Whatever I see or hear in the exercise of my profession or outside my profession in my communion with men, which ought not to be divulged, never to reveal it but to keep it as a secret. If I keep this oath faithfully and not violate it, may I enjoy my life and my art, respected by all men and for all times. But if I transgress it or forswear it may the reverse be my lot.”
[ooc: Physician’s Oath by Hippocrates (c.460-400 B.C.)]
Pausing Wilson gave the students a moment to absorb what he’d just reeled off and took a sip of his coffee to wet his throat.
“All right, obviously a few of those points are not as relevant now as they were back in 460-400 B.C. There is, after all, not much call for orchiectomies these days and most of we males are glad of it. There is also the whole teach without fee, I was paying off my med school debts until I was thirty and the bit about the aphrodisiac…well…that is actually a nod towards the idea of not sleeping with patients rather than celibacy, because if doctors were celibate our heads would explode.”
Straightening, Wilson set the coffee cup aside and began to pace.
“But this raises an interesting point. Obviously the language of this original oath is not entirely applicable to the culture and society of today, however the basic foundation of the oath is still sound. Do no Harm whether it be intentional or by breaking the guidelines set in the oath, this is the basic philosophy that a medical professional is expected to adhere unto. However, is this guideline attainable by the mortal being?”
Wilson paused and then shrugged.
“This is based upon Aristotle’s declaration that ‘Man
Setting his hands on his desk, Wilson hopped up onto it and grinned at the class.
“We’d like to think so I imagine but the other side of that argument is that ‘Man is essentially the outward appearance of DNA.’ The idea that ‘Life is DNA’s way of making more DNA’.”
The grin grew a little impish and Wilson sat back, leaning on his hands. “So, which is the reality and which is the appearance? Do we wrap ourselves in the comforting façade that we as sentient beings are thus ‘logical, ethical, political animals’ in order to obscure the cold reality that we might be little more than DNA trying to replicate itself? What is it about our reality that keeps us from such a basic definition?”
Wilson hopped back down off the desk and walked to the overhead, flipping it on where a slide (thankfully *not* in his handwriting flipped up onto the screen).
“Physicians’ Duties toward their Patients: I will prescribe a regimen for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgement to abstain from offending them or harming them….”
“Physicians’ Duties toward their Fellow Physicians: To consider him who taught me this art the equal of my parents…
“Physicians’ Duties towards their Medical Students: To look upon his children as my own brothers…
“Physicians’ Expectations of Themselves as Physicians: If I keep this oath faithfully and not violate it, may I enjoy my life and my art, respected by all men and for all times. But if I transgress it or forswear it may the reverse be my lot.”
Tapping the last one with his pen, Wilson moved back out in front of the class.
“These are my realities. They are the four guidelines by which I seek to define myself into a philosophy that depicts me as a logical, ethical, political animal rather than a strand of DNA to be replicated onward. These are the guidelines I use to help me see through each unique challenge that comes to me to get to the truth of my perception of the challenge and my motivation for confronting it.”
Putting his pen back in his pocket, Wilson hopped back up onto the desk.
“Now, that’s me and as I put in the description for this class, guidelines are going to be individual to each and every one of us and this class is not meant to change anyone’s personal guidelines. Rather it’s here to make us away of them and aware of our own philosophy and what we truly value. That said, I’d like each student to now introduce themselves, say whether you believe you are a piece of DNA or a logical, ethical, political animal and if the latter, give us one guideline you feel anchors you in your search for the reality of a situation.”
In the last few minutes of class, Wilson handed out the the syllabus as he spoke.
"For your homework, I want you to think about what we discussed in class today and also start reviewing the list of books on your syllabus or start thinking up a text you might like to use for your project. I'm going to want to start getting a list of who is taking what text together not next week but the following week's class."
[ooc: Obviously there will be much handwavey of the actual reading and writing up of the project but have fun with it! :D]
Finishing with the syllabus handing, he walked up to the chalkboard and tried to write out in a legible manner.
"Also my office hours are Mondays 9:30am-11:30am, Thursdays 11:00am-1:00pm and of course by appointment. You'll find my phone numbers on the syllabus, don't hesitate to call if you need to and please if you know you're going to be out of class due to parent, gremlin or zombie attack, please let me know."
[ooc:
Re: Class Participation
They're more like guidelines.It's like a directional compass in our minds on how we want to live life or help life."