Describe your personal philosophy about how and when you have taken, or would take, antibiotics. What experiences or prior knowledge do you have that shaped that personal philosophy?
I have been prescribed antibiotics multiple times when I was younger for recurring ear infections, and once in my first year of college when I had developed bronchitis. I had a persistent cough for nearly a month, minimal mucus production, and some wheezing and shortness of breath and when I was prescribed antibiotics for bronchitis, my only philosophy was to listen to the doctor because they knew what they were doing. My prior knowledge about bacteria and antibiotics was minimal as I had taken a few biology classes in high school and did not feel that I needed to research much into treatment. While I did some research on symptoms and figured I had acute bronchitis, I still felt it was best to just see a professional. With my current knowledge, I would have been more reluctant to take antibiotics because most cases of bronchitis are viral and there is always the risk of bacterial resistance; I would not want to take antibiotics if they are not necessary. I would have like to know the doctor’s reasoning for why they prescribed antibiotics in this situation.
