Prompt:
Part 1: Set a timer for 3 minutes, and make a list of as many human non-infectious diseases that you can think of that are influenced by microorganisms.
Part 2: Refer back to your Writing Exercise #1 that you completed the first week of class. Reflect and discuss how your responses have changed from week 1 to week 10, and what the most important topics you will take away with you once you have completed the course.
Response: The human non-infectious diseases that I can think of that are influenced by microorganisms are irritable bowel diseases, Crohn’s disease, obesity, diabetes, cervical cancer, cancer in general, depression, anxiety, kidney disease, periodontal disease, heart disease, herpes virus, HIV, botulism, tetanus, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, ALS, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease.
Once I referred back to my first writing exercise, I realized how closed minded I was. I basically regurgitated everything that my microbiology class taught me and nothing else. I feel like looking at my response now, it’s certainly more engaging and entertaining. I feel like I actually have more substance within my response now and it would actually be a good conversation starter if need be. This class has really taught me to think outside of the box and expand my mind. Some of the most important topics that I will take away from this class are that the body is truly more connected than initially thought. Additionally, I feel as if the stomach is not very glorified for it’s role in the body, but now I truly feel like it should be taken care of so much more. The most important thing that I am taking away, however, is that as a human being in the medical field, I need to be more open to other possibilities than the cut and dry.
