The image of scientists has transitioned over the course of decades. In the earlier 1900s during the development of science fiction and comic books, scientists were depicted as the “Dr. Frankenstein” type or ones that were evil or violent. Scientists could also be considered “powerless pawns” which were ones that were easily manipulated to complete work for the evil party. The more common view of scientists happens to be the image of the eccentric anti-social geek which are those that tend to have difficulty engaging socially. (Nisbet 2010). More recently, the view of scientists has taken a drastic shift and are now depicted as heroes in certain media sources (Nisbet 2010). I must say that I don’t necessarily agree with all of the classifications of scientists or physicians have been classified in the past. I think that it takes a  versatile person to pursue this type of career, and for that reason, I don’t think that they belong boxed in a certain category. From the outside looking in, it may be easier to classify people this way because of their career of choice but it grinds my gears when people want to classify me this way at times. As I always say “I am just me!” which encompasses many different qualities.

One of my favorite pieces of material in the third unit of this course was watching “The Big Bang Theory.” This was my first time watching this particular show and I must say that I actually enjoyed it mainly because there was humor created behind scientific knowledge. Discussing the difference between the terms “geeks” and “nerds” is something I have never really thought about, but I was forced to consider it here. Some of the most memorable moments during this episode “The Alien Parasite Hypothesis” were the ones between Amy and Sheldon when they were addressing her obvious physical attraction to the character Zack. These characters exhibited traits of the anti-social geeks for the most part with a few exceptions. There were moments that this stereotype was antagonized, such as the friends having a conversation with friends at what appeared to be a bar. According to the previously painted picture, anti-social geeks spend most of their time engorged in laboratory work and therefore do not have many friends. For the two characters to completely act out a scene in which they reenacted composing a medical record, including differential diagnoses and vital signs, to come to a conclusion about her sudden change in bodily functions tickled me pink. This is probably because I have seen this time and time again working in the emergency department so it really hit home. After watching this show, I realized that I have more nerd and geek like qualities than I realized. I think this was mainly because I found myself giggling at certain scenes in this show that others may not have found humorous.

When I thought about how science was portrayed in the media, I instantly gravitated toward one of my favorite shows to watch when I was younger was “Saved By the Bell.” This show was very good at displaying the typical stereotypes that were common to see in a high school atmosphere. In this particular show, the character Screech, played by Dustin Diamond was the scientist of the group of friends. He had nearly all of the qualities of an anti-social geek, that being the deviation from the normal dress and looks, few romantic interests, and generally socially awkward. You could also consider him to be a powerless pawn when he used to engage in devious acts for Zack’s sake. His character was even known for building and programming an artificial robot, Kevin, who displayed similar traits as he did. Also, despite his extreme intellect, he appeared to lack common sense which is also another trend that I see grouped among brilliant scientists. There were also other groups of “nerds and geeks” that resembled his image as well. This included the possession of pocket protectors and taped glasses. Now given that this show was filmed in the late 1980s, this image was expected at the time. 

References

Nisbet, M. C. (2019, January 30) Reconsidering the Image of Scientists in Film & Television. Big Think. Big Think. https://bigthink.com/age-of-engagement/reconsidering-the-image-of-scientists-in-film-television

Screech Powers. Saved By The Bell Wiki. https://savedbythebell.fandom.com/wiki/Screech_Powers

Having access to the media can be both a blessing and a curse when it comes to making life choices. It can be a beautiful thing because one can finally see people that may share the same interests or opinions when one may think their view is rare. It can become a disastrous nightmare when people either choose to proceed with or opt out of a decision that can potentially leave a devastating effect on one’s life. I feel that this all comes down to the mentality of any person. A study completed on four generations of Internet users examined the effects of social media and seeking advice and decision making. Out of 1783 subjects, approximately 38% of respondents said they were likely to seek travel advice on social media. About 21% of respondents said they were likely to seek advice in decision-making related to financial services, and healthcare (25%) and retail purchases (18%). There was also more considerable influence in the younger generations (DiStaso & McCorkindale 2017).

Sometimes it irks me when people frame their entire life decisions based on the actions of their favorite celebrities or social media influencer. I always wonder “Where is your sense of self-identity?” I have no problem with people admiring the actions and work of some celebrities because I am guilty of doing this myself. However, I do draw the line when it comes to making important decisions regarding my life. I would not simply go with the mentality “Well…Jane Doe did it and had this outcome so I should too,” or “I saw this on this FICTIONAL television show so it must be true.” It truly makes me roll my eyes sometimes.

During the episode “Outbreak” of the television show ER, there was a simulation of a smallpox outbreak. One thing I learned and appreciated was the rapid response from public health teams involved in the case. The big topic of discussion during this episode was to whether one would stay home or seek emergency care if they develop signs and symptoms of a life-threatening illness, such as smallpox which was simulated in this episode. I, personally, would not have hesitated to go to the nearest hospital because time can be such a critical component when it comes to life-saving measures. When it came to the two children that were diagnosed with smallpox in this episode, there was an initial delay in the parents bringing both of them to the emergency department because there was mention that their symptoms had been ongoing for three days. Once they were finally brought into the ED and evaluated, their downward spiral began soon afterward. The fact that one life was lost made me wonder if her life could have been saved if her parents had brought her to the hospital sooner.  It also made me wonder if the young boy not had possibly decompensated so quickly if he had been taken to the hospital sooner. This is where I would draw the line when it comes to making life decisions based off of a media source. I understand people not wanting to rush to the hospital anytime they notice something abnormal, but I would have at least consulted my primary care physician for advice. On a side note, I find it interesting now because I am seeing more and more articles surrounding the panic of a measles outbreak. 

On so many social media platforms, I see so much controversy surrounding cosmetic surgery, especially in females. I feel that this stems from the idea of people wanting to create “the perfect body” that is being depicted in the media. It has become so popular that people are even traveling to outside countries to have procedures completed for a much cheaper rate. The concern is the number of risks that come from having procedures completed by surgeons outside of the United States. For example, a 43-year-old woman traveled to the Dominican Republic to receive an abdominoplasty or “tummy tuck.” She had hopes of returning with a much firmer midsection but, unfortunately, what she left the country with was massive open sores and an antibiotic resistant-infection that ultimately left with a deformed abdomen (Mozes 2018). I know there is a show, Botched, that is focused around failed attempts at cosmetic surgery. By no means am I being judgemental against people who have opted to proceed with cosmetic surgery. I am a firm believer that everyone should be confident in their appearance as I know self-image is something that most people tend to struggle with at some point in their lives. In my personal opinion, seeing outcomes such as this put more fear in me than joy knowing that I could return to the United States with a “perfect body.”

 

References

Mozes, A. (2018, April 11) Some patients pay high price for seeking cheap plastic surgery abroad. Chicagotribune.com. https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sc-hlth-plastic-surgery-abroad-risks-0418-story.html

DiStaso, M. W., and McCorkindale, T. (2018, February 16) The Science of Influence: How Social Media Affects Decision Making in the Healthcare, Travel, Retail, and Financial Industries. Institute for Public Relations. https://instituteforpr.org/science-influence-social-media-affects-decision-making-healthcare-travel-retail-financial-industries/

As technology has advanced over the years, the media has become more influential in everyday life. It sounds incredibly blunt to say that people believe almost anything they read on the internet, but there is much truth in this statement. A prior research study showed that 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation (Bloem 2017). With statistics like this in mind, I believe it is highly essential that science and medicine are portrayed accurately. Unfortunately, this is not reality as there is much information in medicine and science that is falsified in media sources.

One of the most notorious shows that portray medicine in media today is Grey’s Anatomy. In the episode titled “Now or Never,” there were multiple medical interventions shown with the most notorious being cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR and defibrillation. At this point, the character Izzie is terminally ill and has been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. She recently underwent a tumor resection which caused her to have short term memory lapses.  When Izzie later went into cardiac arrest, there was defibrillation performed when CPR should have been the go-to procedure. Defibrillation should have been used if her heart rhythm became extremely irregular, such as ventricular tachycardia. There should not have been any intervention performed given that she signed a DNR order. Her husband Alex used her memory lapses against her and decided to ignore the DNR orders which, in my opinion, was completely unethical, but I understood the motive behind the character. I would want my loved one to remain with me as long as possible but, at the same time, I would not want to go against their wishes. That would be a personal battle that I would have to deal with separately. It’s always about the patient! Also, for the sake of television, if the actual DNR orders were honored, this would have resulted in her death which of course would have been devastating and ended the character in the series.

Also, the character Amanda was recently saved from being hit by a bus, but the issue was that she did not know the victim. Due to severe damages that the victim suffered, the identity was not able to be established immediately. Because of the overwhelming event, Amanda stood in the room while the patient was being resuscitated.  In reality, because she did not know the victim of the accident, she would not have been allowed in the room during resuscitation due to HIPAA violations. There are even times that physicians do not allow the family in the room during acute medical interventions. At the end of the episode, it was discovered that the unknown character was George. This particular episode was the season finale. I feel that ultimately this episode left an excellent cliff hanger to convince the viewer to watch the following season which is the ultimate goal. 

The next episode titled “Good Mourning” began the sixth season. What was odd during this episode was that Izzie became well enough to be discharged from the hospital in time to attend the funeral of George. I found that a bit strange given that she had been in critical condition just shortly before this. I would think that she would not be discharged from the hospital so quickly. Now the grieving of the loss of George was a truly genuine moment throughout this entire episode which made the episode so much more believable.

In my opinion, the dramatics of the episodes overcompensated for the inaccuracies portrayed in medicine. What makes it so believable is that there are some truths in how medicine was practiced in these episodes, but it became twisted the subtle errors. Realistically, the writers of the show have to drive the drama in the show to attract viewers. To the average viewer, one may not understand what is incorrectly displayed which is entirely okay. It is not expected that one person is familiar with everything. Even if someone can point out fallacies, they may enjoy the acting in the show that they can overlook this. The problem lies when people feel that what is shown is sufficient knowledge on a particular topic.

One of my favorites shows that displayed science happens to be one of my favorite childhood cartoons, The Magic School Bus. Although it was a fictional show, the characters were based on real people. For example, the character Arnold was known notorious for being nervous. His habits were framed behind the friends of the son of the illustrator Bruce Degen (Mancini 2015). The episode “Inside Ralphie” the class explores Ralphie’s internal organs in an attempt to determine what is causing him to become ill.

Given that this is a cartoon, there will be certain aspects of the show that will be portrayed inaccurately, but I believe the images work well with the imagination. While it is not possible for people to physically shrink themselves and enter a human body, I think the writers created a create a visual image. Throughout the episode, scientific terms, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, antibodies, and platelets, are introduced in a reasonably accurate way. This is one of the first shows that sparked and kept my interest in science. The exciting idea behind this series is that it was initially created and aired in the 1990s, but it was rebooted in 2017 in a spin-off series named “The Magic School Bus Rides Again.” While I have not had a chance to view this series, it is something that I would look at considering how much I loved it as a child.

 

References

Bloem, C. (2017, July 31) 84 Percent of People Trust Online Reviews As Much As Friends. Here’s How to Manage What They See. Inc.com. Inc. http://mentalfloss.com/article/71264/12-magical-facts-about-magic-school-bus

Macini, M. (2015, December 2) 12 Magical Facts About The Magic School Bus. 12 Magical Facts About ‘The Magic School Bus’ | Mental Floss. http://mentalfloss.com/article/71264/12-magical-facts-about-magic-school-bus

When I first noticed that there was a study abroad trip to Uganda, I was immediately drawn to the program mainly because of the location and the concept behind the work that has been completed by Professor Swahn. Because I had not traveled internationally before I was a bit nervous about making this my first trip abroad, but I did not let that stop me. Surprisingly, one the of main events that I was initially concerned about believe it or not was the long international flight but much to my surprise it was not as bad as I made it out to be. I got some much-needed rest on the flights which was nice.

Since arrival in Uganda, the days have been nothing short of amazing. I have been completely taken aback by the vast lifestyle differences between Ugandans and Americans. What has stood out the most to me is the drastic cultural differences that are present in this country. One of the most memorable events in this trip so far have been the show at the Ndeke Cultural Center. Being that I have a background as a competitive dancer that has been trained in multiple genres of dance I was immediately attracted to the idea of a theatrical performance considering it has been quite some time since I have been able to see a live performance. From the start of the show, I was completely mesmerized. Being able to visualize all of the types and colors combinations of the African fabrics was just so completely beautiful. Hearing all of the chants and songs represented by each tribe just warmed by heart. Seeing the different cultural dances belonging to each region of Uganda just tickled my heart pink. The movements were sharp and precise but still showed so much fluidity at the same time. After seeing so many performances from these regions, I realized that quite a few dances resemble ones that are known to American culture. I have heard this in the past but being able to witness it for myself is an entirely different conversation.

Another portion of the show that completely surprised me was learning that people from Uganda created the first trumpet, guitar, and keyboard. We got to see the original make of the instruments, and to my surprise, the appearance was quite different than the ones that we see today. This made me wonder how the appearance of the instruments evolved over the years. To see the performers, play these instruments in their original settings and different pitches I honestly did not notice a difference. The drumming section was one of my favorite portions of the entire performance. I’m pretty sure my jaw dropped when I saw these men carrying these massive drums on their heads down the stairs so effortlessly. These gentlemen showed such strength and resilience which I feel is symbolic of any great musician or piece of music.

The final portion of the segment during which all of the different represented regions of Uganda came for a finale performance was probably these the most uplifting segment of the entire show. This truly showed how all of the different cultures of the represented regions of Uganda meshed as one unified nation. I felt as if all of these collectively was a stellar representation of the entire country. At that moment, I felt that Ugandans have a strong sense of unity which is something that I feel is hard to come by. These performances ignited a flame within me and left me in complete awe. I’m pretty sure that I will not be able to witness another spectacular performance similar to this, but I’m truly grateful to have been present at this moment.