BIOLOGY 361
ISSUES IN REPRODUCTIVE
MEDICINE
FALL SEMESTER 2004
Instructor: Professor
Verna Case (Watson 162A, Ext.2327, vecase@davidson.edu)
Class
meetings: TTh 11:30
am, Dana 153
Course
Description:
Advances in medical science give us an ever-increasing
mastery of our "natural" reproductive processes. Technologies for controlling our fertility,
diagnosing and treating the fetus, and allowing premature neonates to complete
their development ex-utero challenge our traditional
ideas of parenthood, family and even personal identity. The economic, emotional, and socio-cultural
costs of these medical advances are very high.
In addition, a myriad of ethical and legal questions are raised by the
possibilities and permutations created by the new reproductive technologies.
The course begins with an overview of the natural reproduction in humans and
the basic principles of biomedical ethics.
Focus will then turn to the issues surrounding the control of: fertility
and infertility; fetal life; birth and the neonatal period.
Class
Schedule:
Date Topic
8/24 – 8/26 The
natural reproductive process
8/31 – 9/2 Principles of biomedical ethics
9/7 Assisted
reproduction, introduction
9/9 No class
9/14 – 10/7 ART Cases (
10/12 Fall Break
10/14 Prenatal
intervention, introduction
10/19 – 11/9 PI Cases (
10/26 No class
11/11 – 11/16 Neonatal care introduction, film
11/18 – 12/2 NICU Cases (
11/25 Thanksgiving Break
12/7 Wrap-up and class
evaluations
Course
Requirements:
Case discussions:
Each student will be required to lead one day of case discussions
during the semester. The student leading
the discussion will be thoroughly prepared to discuss the case or cases assigned
for the day.
*All students in the class are expected to: 1) prepare for case
discussions prior to class by reading the assigned cases, and 2) participate
actively the discussion.
Response papers based on case
discussions:
Students will be given a series of questions based on the class
discussions of cases, after each major section of the course (ART, PI and
NICU). Students may use any available
resources, including class notes, readings, etc., to respond to the
questions. Responses to the questions
must be printed using 12 pt. Times New Roman font with double line spacing and
one inch margins and must not exceed 10 pages.
Due dates for the response papers are listed below.
Grading:
Discussion
leading 25%
Response
papers 25%
each
ART Due 10/16
PI Due 11/6
NICU Due 11/25
Grades
for discussion leading will be based on:
1. Content (80)
Information quality
(complete, relevant, etc.) (30)
Presentation of issues (30)
Use of supporting literature and background information, as
appropriate (10)
Reasoning, argumentation and development of ideas (10)
2. Delivery and organization (20)
Grades
for the response papers will be based on:
1. Content (80)
Quality of information presented (complete, relevant, etc.) (30)
Analysis of issues (30)
Use of supporting literature and background information (20)
2. Organization and structure (20)
Clear, logical sequence, development of paragraphs and sections
(10)
Strong introduction and conclusion (5)
Style and grammar - Precise, engaging, strong consistent voice,
facility with varying rhythm, vocabulary (5)
Grading
System:
95-100
A
91-94 A-
87-90 B+
83-86 B
79-82 B-
75-78 C+
71-74 C
67-70 C-
63-66 D+
59-62 D
0
- 58 F