Students Learn to Saddle Up Their Scruples at
the 2006 UBRP Ethics Retreat
A group of nineteen undergraduate students had the unique
opportunity of escaping the routine challenges of their research
to discuss
important issues dealing with ethics. Topics included medical
and research ethics, as well as communication skills. The students
were engaged in discussions with leaders in their respective
fields. They spent the two-day retreat at the historic dude
ranch, the Lazy Bar K Ranch, allowing contact with nature and
their peers.
After an introduction to ethics given by Dr. Charles
Putnam, Professor, Surgery and Lecturer, Molecular & Cellular
Biology, UA, Dr. William Madden, Associate Professor, Pediatrics,
UA,
spoke about medical ethics illustrating his points with case
examples from his own experience. Physicians are only thought
to diagnose and treat when in actuality they must decide the
fate or extent of treatment for patients. This testing of the
physician’s ethics is a daily challenge that creates
a high level of emotional strain. Stakes are very high and
include life-and-death decisions. Decisions are rarely clear-cut
and give rise to difficult, emotional situations.
Dr. Lindy Brigham, Assistant Research Professor, Plant
Sciences, UA, spoke about the importance of understanding the culture
of science and the students had an opportunity to role play
the introduction of a new person to a lab group. In research,
ethical issues arise around the need to assess the validity
of claims of new information. Dr. Elizabeth Vierling,
Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, UA asked the group
to inspect the presentation of data in a figure that appeared
in the journal Science. Students considered the ways that data
can be presented to illuminate and to obscure. They then discussed
the ethical issues associated with the presentation of data.
Because science and medicine are collaborative endeavors it
is important to possess interpersonal communication skills.
Many problems can be avoided with effective communication and
Gail Brooks, US Institute for Environmental Conflict reviewed
basic tenets of effective communication. Students were then
presented with a dilemma to role-play, followed by a discussion
of what happened. All in all the retreat allowed students to
exposure to and exploration of ethical issues related to research
and clinical practice.
We are grateful to the presenters who donated their time and
to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National
Science Foundation who provided the financial support for the retreat.
Adapted from a brief communication written by Tyler
Brown, UBRPer in Dr. Jonathan Vande Geest’s lab, Aerospace & Mechanical
Engineering and Poarche’ Hicks, UBRPer in Dr. Chris Rensing’s
lab, Soil, Water and Environmental Science with excerpts written
by Devin Wiley, UBRPer in Dr. John Szivek’s
lab, Orthopedic Research.
A group of nineteen undergraduate students had the unique
opportunity of escaping the routine challenges of their research
to discuss
important issues dealing with ethics. Topics included medical
and research ethics, as well as communication skills. The students
were engaged in discussions with leaders in their respective
fields. They spent the two-day retreat at the historic dude
ranch, the Lazy Bar K Ranch, allowing contact with nature and
their peers.
After an introduction to ethics given by Dr. Charles
Putnam, Professor, Surgery and Lecturer, Molecular & Cellular
Biology, UA, Dr. William Madden, Associate Professor, Pediatrics,
UA,
spoke about medical ethics illustrating his points with case
examples from his own experience. Physicians are only thought
to diagnose and treat when in actuality they must decide the
fate or extent of treatment for patients. This testing of the
physician’s ethics is a daily challenge that creates
a high level of emotional strain. Stakes are very high and
include life-and-death decisions. Decisions are rarely clear-cut
and give rise to difficult, emotional situations.
Dr. Elizabeth Vierling,
Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, UA asked the group
to inspect the presentation of data in a figure that appeared
in the journal Science. 
Students considered the ways that data
can be presented to illuminate and to obscure. They then discussed
the ethical issues associated with the presentation of data.
Because science and medicine are collaborative endeavors it
is important to possess interpersonal communication skills.
Many problems can be avoided with effective communication and
Gail Brooks, US Institute for Environmental Conflict reviewed
basic tenets of effective communication. Students were then
presented with a dilemma to role-play, followed by a discussion
of what happened. All in all the retreat allowed students to
exposure to and exploration of ethical issues related to research
and clinical practice.
We are grateful to the presenters who donated their time and
to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National
Science Foundation who provided the financial support for the retreat.
