The paper should be 3-5 pages long, double spaced, 12 point font, 1 inch margins. Please number your pages.
Please, please spell-check and proofread. Papers with grammatical or mechanical problems will not receive full credit.
CHOOSE ONE PROMPT:
(I’d recommend the first one though!!!)
- Do you believe that there is anything in the Hippocratic Corpus that we have studied in class (or in other Hippocratic texts you may have read outside of this class) that has value for modern medicine (either medical education, medical research, or medical practice, including nursing, hospice, etc.)? If so, isolate 1-2 examples or ideas from Hippocrates and explain why and how these ideas / examples could be valuable / helpful for the challenges modern medicine is facing. If you answer “no”, isolate several examples from the Hippocratic corpus and argue why modern medicine cannot benefit from the past. I strongly urge you to show how your Hippocratic ideas / examples were influential throughout Western history to support your claim, whether you argue “yes” or “no”.
- Embedded in medical writing are views about the nature of mankind. Choose one or two (no more!) medical texts that we have read in this class and discuss their theory of human nature. You might want to consider, for example, the relation between the divine and human, the nature of the soul, or the influences that make mortals what they are. (But don’t try to consider all those things, and don’t feel constrained by them if there are other issues you want to focus on).
- How does medicine participate in the social hierarchies of its culture in the Hippocratic Oath, and Airs, Waters, Places? Consider issues like the power a doctor has over the patient (the recommended reading Brody, The Healer’s Power.pdfDownload Brody, The Healer’s Power.pdf would be helpful for this); the gender of the patient; views of race and health/disease. How does medicine work to reinforce social inequalities? Don’t just argue that medicine reinforces hierarchies; instead show how it does so.
Important general considerations
a) Make sure you have a solid and clear thesis statement before you start writing. The thesis statement should be narrower than the essay question. If you can’t express your thesis in the form “I will argue that…”, your argument probably isn’t focused enough, and needs more thought before you begin. On the other hand, if by the end of your paper you can’t answer the question “So what?”, your thesis is probably too narrow. You want it focused enough to be do-able in 3-5 pages, but broad enough to be interesting and significant (not merely a summary of the text). A good thesis statement makes a big difference!
b) Support your thesis with examples from the texts, and cite the texts or websites you use (you are not required to consult websites or sources unless the prompt asks you to) References to the texts can be placed in parentheses, with a page number or section number. Wikipedia is generally not an appropriate citation (except for the Wikipedia article on the Tuskegee Syphilis Study). Do not use websites that do not offer good evidence for their claims. If you can’t find a passage in the text or legitimate website that supports your claim, then that claim is probably untenable. Tie your examples back into the thesis, showing how they support your main argument. Be sure not merely to summarize the texts, but to analyze them and make an argument about them. It is fine to include personal examples / anecdotes if you have experience as a pre-Health major or have experienced acute illness yourself.
c) Draw out the conclusions of your argument: what are the implications? What are the ramifications? Why is your point significant? Whenever you think you are done, ask yourself another question and try to push your argument one step further. Your conclusions should do more than merely reiterate your thesis statement.
d) Properly cite any sources (webpages, books, etc.) if you use any. Plagiarism will result in formal academic misconduct charges (see syllabus for academic misconduct statement).
********GRADING REQUIREMENTS:
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Topic/thesis development |
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– Essay clearly states a thesis or opinion and is presented early on; thesis is well developed throughout essay. Conclusion relates back to thesis statement.
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