Wearing masks was once just a question of public health, but now a decision to not wear one represents a statement of independence and individualism. In other words, mask wearing has become symbolic of political beliefs.
We see that for many, there is a strong culture of individualism and reluctance to follow governmental recommendations, even if it means infecting others. As stay-at-home orders are lifted and more businesses open, I worry that an individual's statement of autonomy over their actions will lead to catastrophic pandemic effects.
Although autonomy is an important principle in medicine, imagine the feeling of disappointment and frustration that must be felt by healthcare workers. Frustration because not only are essential personnel at high risk of contracting COVID-19, but also because of their fear of infecting their families and friends.
Sometimes in medicine it proves difficult to balance a patient's autonomy with beneficence. The same dilemma occurs with face masks. For me, considering this issue as a medical ethical predicament, beneficence takes precedence over autonomy; I suspect many healthcare workers agree. So we require vaccinations prior to school enrollment and we directly observe tuberculosis treatment.
Each time I step foot out of my apartment to run errands and see people not wearing a face mask, I think of the fine balance between individualism and greater good of the general public. When a friend grieves the COVID-19 death of a grandparent, I'll wonder if exhibiting a political stance justifies the death of someone's loved one.
The DuPage Medical Society Foundation Board of Trustees announces the awarding of fourteen student scholarship grants.
Abhishek Sethi, Naperville, is the 2020 recipient of the prestigious James P. Campbell, MD, Memorial Scholarship. Described by a professor as "smart, motivated, intellectually curious and creative, driven, personable, and possessing boundless passion for research and medicine," Sethi is drawn to ophthalmology as a specialty. With an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering, he is deeply committed to research in artificial intelligence that can reduce the incidence of blindness worldwide. Among his many extracurricular activities, Sethi is a hospice volunteer and president of the South Asian Medical Student Association.
Clara Ryan, Downers Grove, is awarded the 2020 William B. Frymark, Sr., MD, Honorary Scholarship. Entering her second year of medical school at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Ryan works three jobs while maintaining an exceptional record of academic achievement. She holds a bachelor's degree in neuroscience, a master's in biotechnology, and remains deeply engaged in volunteer activities that promote health literacy, leadership skills and self-empowerment among youths in diverse communities.
Other 2020 scholarship recipients include:
Muneeb Ansari, Glendale Heights, Medicine
Michael Brancato, Naperville, Medicine
Rohan Chakrabarthy, Naperville, Medicine
Sunil Dommaraju, Westmont, Medicine
Allison Harvey, Wheaton, Occupational Therapy
Philip Kaiser, Glen Ellyn, Nurse Anesthesia
Lisa Laurenzana, Lombard, Medicine
Mira Malavia, Aurora, Medicine
Olivia Negris, Wheaton, Medicine
Aubrey Sieve, Lisle, Medicine
Andrew Tran, Glen Ellyn, Medicine
Ryan Trippel, Glen Ellyn, Medicine
"Entrusted by our generous donors to wisely award our limited scholarship funds, the caliber of our candidates makes that task fairly simple," Lanny F. Wilson, MD, Foundation president observed. "Every year we evaluate such exceptional candidates it gives us great faith in the future of health care."
Each year the DuPage Medical Society Foundation awards 100 percent of the funds received from contributors. Including this year’s grants, the Foundation has awarded over $415,000 in student scholarships.
The American Liver Foundation has an exciting new virtual educational program to offer - Viral Hepatitis in the time of COVID 19, championed by DCMS President Dr. Rocky Yapp, ALF Medical Advisory Committee. The invitation below includes the link to this teleconference which includes the latest information on this topic - presented by Dr. Andrew Aronsohn, University of Chicago; Dr. Steven Flamm, Northwestern University; and Dr. Nancy Reau, Rush University. CMEs will be available and you MUST complete and return the evaluation post program to receive your CMEs.Please add this to your calendar and include the GoToMeeting link. Or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
