Discuss with your counselor the influence that EIGHT of the following people or events
had on the history of medicine:
Hippocrates
The invention of Gunpowder
William Harvey
Antoine van Leeuwenhoek
Edward Jenner
Florence Nightingale
Louis Pasteur
Gregor Mendel
Joseph Lister
Robert Koch
Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen
Marie and Pierre Curie
Walter Reed
Karl Landsteiner
Alexander Fleming
Jonas Salk
Explain the Hippocratic Oath to your counselor, and compare to the original version to a
more modern one. Discuss to whom those subscribing to the original version of the oath owe
the greatest allegiance.
Discuss the health care provider-patient relationship with your counselor, and the
importance of such a relationship in the delivery of quality care to the patient. Describe
the role of confidentiality in this relationship.
Do the following:
Describe the roles the following people play in the delivery of health care in your
state. (Note: Not all may exist in your state.)
Physician
Chiropractor
Optometrist
Podiatrist
Pharmacist
Psychologist
Physician's assistant
Nurse practitioner
Nurse-midwife
Registered Nurse
Licensed vocational/practical nurse
Medical assistant
Emergency medical technician
Medical laboratory technologist
Radiologic technologist
Physical therapist
Occupational therapist
Respiratory therapist
Describe the educational and licensing requirements for five of those in 4(a) --other
than 4(a)(1)- - practicing health care in your state.
Tell what is meant by the term "primary care" with regard to a medical
specialty. Briefly describe the types of work done by physicians in the following
"core" specialties:
Internal medicine*
Family practice
Obstetrics/gynecology*
Pediatrics
Psychiatry
Surgery
Describe the additional educational requirements for those specialties.
Briefly describe the types of work performed by physicians in FIVE of the following
specialties or subspecialties:
Allergy/immunology
Anesthesiology
Cardiovascular disease
Colon and rectal surgery
Dermatology
Emergency Medicine
Endocrinology and metabolism
Gastroenterology
Geriatric medicine
Hematology/oncology
Infectious disease
Nephrology
Neurological surgery
Neurology
Nuclear medicine
Opthalmology
Orthopedic surgery
Otolaryngology/head and neck surgery
Pathology
Physical medicine and rehabilitation/sports medicine
Plastic, reconstructive, and maxillofacial surgery.
Preventive medicine
Radiology
Rheumatology
Thoracic/cardiothoracic surgery
Urology
Vascular surgery
Describe the additional educational requirements for the five specialties or
subspecialties you chose in 6(a).
Visit a physician's office,** preferably one who delivers "primary care."
(This may be that of your counselor.) discuss the components of a medical history and
physical examination (an official BSA health form may be used to guide this discussion),
and become familiar with the instruments used.
Describe the characteristics of a good diagnostic test to screen for disease (e.g.
routine blood pressure measurement). Explain briefly why diagnostic tests are not perfect.
Show how to take a blood pressure reading and a pulse reading.
Do the following:
Discuss the roles medical societies, the insurance industry, and the government play in
influencing the practice of medicine in the United States.
Briefly tell how your state monitors the quality of health care within its borders, and
how it provides care to those who do not have health insurance.
Compare and discuss with your counselor the health care delivery systems in the United
States, Canada, and Mexico.
Serve as a volunteer at a health-related event or facility in your community (e.g. Blood
drive, "health fair", blood pressure screening, etc.) approved by your
counselor.
* "Primary care" specialties
** If this cannot be arranged, demonstrate to your counselor that you understand the
components of a medical history and physical, and discuss the instruments involved.