I found the subject matter of this presentation to be fascinating, particularly due to my interest in public health, epidemiology, and vaccination. It is truly intriguing how influential geographical factors and socioeconomic status are on health and disease transmission. As someone who will be attending medical school this upcoming fall, the implications of John Snow’s work with cholera drastically impacted what became the profession that I will be entering.
In addition to the significance of the impacts of global health, once again, the context of events proves critical. What John Snow accomplished in the 1850s is highly impressive. As someone who has the world at my fingertips with modern technology, the progression of science and technology can be abstract, but neat to learn about. Germ Theory did not exist before John Snow’s time, so the fact that he was able to come to the conclusions that he did can be hard to grasp for me. I liked that Dr. Root stated that the work he completed at the time was “rocket science then.” I find it fascinating that he even researched the social factors that were additionally impacting the cholera outbreak, such as sanitation habits and water sources.
One of my favorite components of Dr. Root’s presentation was her commentary that what makes John Snow’s accomplishments so impressive was that Snow and his colleagues were open to and accepting of new scientific ideas. This is essential in scientific innovation, even in modern topics, such as genomic medicine. In order to be the best scientist and the best life learner in general, we need to be accepting of change and new ideology. Overall, I truly enjoyed this lecture, especially the discussion of vaccines and the impacts of geography and social networks. In 2019, vaccines are a hot topic, due to the unexpected movement of anti-vaccine supporters. I struggle with comprehending the justifications for rejecting vaccination. However, that’s a whole other topic. But, furthermore, learning about landscape genetics was new and exciting to me in its implications. In order to be an effective medical provider in the future, I need to comprehend the roles population and landscape pressures play on evolutionary processes in public health. Our health is determined by biological, social, geographical, cultural, and more factors. This lecture was a perfect example of the necessity of looking at the whole picture.
It s nice to know you took so much away from this talk, Emily. I think you pinpointed many of the reasons for this class, including the appreciation of history and being open-minded enough to accept change or progress. You also note the frustration many of us feel when confronted with resistance to ideas that seem like no-brainers (vaccination, for example). I also appreciate when students see how the lessons from history can impact their future careers. In my opinion, it seems that the current medical paradigm relies a bit too much on just medicinal cures. A one-on-one interview may also help you find something in their habits or environment that could be changed to make one of your patients healthier. I imagine the personal connection you will have with your patients one day being just a little deeper appreciating this fact.