Ethics in Health

The concept of applying ethics to our lives can be challenging, especially in thorough consideration of all the different components of a situation that isn’t particularly black and white. The important conclusion, therefore, is not to reach a means to an end, but to become acquainted and diligent about the conscious choices we can make and the extent of their effects.

Ethics can be be incorporated in all areas of our lives and most definitely applicable to all studies, fields, or practices. I can state with absolute certainty that we have, or will at some point in our professional career, have the responsibility of making those judgment calls that affect more people than just ourselves. For some, they have always been blessed with the innate ability to weigh out the options on a particular case with ease. For others, however, we must remember that practice makes perfect!

For those of you who find this idea intriguing, and are always keen on discussion, there are many clubs on campus that address these issues in one way or another. However, a personal recommendation to you is the Health Ethics Club at SFU. This group is a particularly interesting choice for those of you who are specializing in the sciences as the topics covered will be supportive of a lot of the material covered in your own courses; however, the discussion of health is not always about our physical well-being or ideas regarding hospitalization and governmental policy. Concepts such as mental health and the health of our society as a whole are all issues applicable to the theme of this group that is geared towards  assessing problems in all areas of health, with a very wide range of topics that are important for us all! In addition, in recent light to the interview process needed for obtaining a paid position for those who are looking for jobs in their respected fields of study, being able to answer a tough question on your feet is definitely a strong asset that can help you on your way. A skill that can be vastly improved by continuous discussion of different topics such as those highlighted by the Health Ethics club at SFU.

The benefits are truly worth the while, you walk away with a lot of new information helping you to more so see the full picture in all aspects of life, alongside the privileged ability to put your knowledge of ethics to test by means of application in discussing various ethical questions as a member of the Health Ethics Club!

Selva Bayat has been writing for SFU Engage since her first year at SFU! She is in the faculty of Health Sciences, and enjoys the opportunity to relate health related post to course work. She's also dabbled into playwriting, short stories, and of course the ultimate goal of anyone who’s been a life-time bookworm: a personal novel. She's found her time with SFU Enage to be tremendously rewarding and welcomes feedback to any posts or suggestions for future topics. You can contact her at selvab@sfu.ca.