Healing by Killing
In cooperation with UT School of Nursing, this blue book elective is offered to UT Medical School students for blue book credit. This interprofessional course will explore ethics through the perspective of various historical case studies, focusing primarily on Nazi Germany. Key topics such as the response of the US government and blood banks to the emerging HIV/AIDS epidemic will be examined as well as the history of the central role played by physicians and nurses in planning and implementing genocide in the name of eugenics and racial hygiene during the Holocaust. It will focus on exploring the lessons we can learn from history as we confront the challenges of problems in today's society and in the future.
This course is being offered to UT Medical School students as an entirely online course, with the exception of the December 3 evening session which will bring together all nursing and medical students completing the course. This activity will be held at the School of Nursing, and for those who want to attend the in-person lectures, the sessions will be held at the School of Nursing (6901 Bertner Avenue), Room 320 on Wednesdays from 12:00 — 1:00 pm. In addition to the lectures, there will an assigned movie each week.
In order to receive blue book credit, students are asked to meet the following requirements:
- Attend or watch online 4 lectures as well as the assigned films for the week;
- Participate in at least 4 online discussions; and
- Attend the evening event on Tuesday, April 30.
| January 16 | Orientation and Introduction to Bioethics Film: Sicko |
Jeffrey Spike, Ph.D., Professor, UT Medical School |
| January 23 | Community Response to Infectious Disease — Hansen's Disease; and Ethical Issues Related to Stigma of HD Film: Triumph at Carville - A Tale of Leprosy in America |
Cathy Rozmus, D.S.N., R.N., Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, UT School of Nursing Jose Ramirez, LCSW, Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County |
| January 30 | HIV/AIDS in the 1980s Film: And the Band Played On |
Catherine Flaitz, D.D.S., M.S., Professor, UT School of Dentistry |
| February 6 | Drug Companies Film: Puncture |
Susan Benedict, D.S.N., R.N., FAAN, Director, Global Health; and Professor, UT School of Nursing |
| February 13 | Eugenics in the United States Film: Gattaca |
Cathy Rozmus, D.S.N., R.N., Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, UT School of Nursing |
| February 20 | Eugenics in Germany Film: The Third Reich - The Rise |
Cathy Rozmus, D.S.N., R.N., Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, UT School of Nursing |
| February 27 | The Role of Nurses in National Socialist Germany Film: Auschwitz - Inside the Nazi State, Part I |
Cathy Rozmus, D.S.N., R.N., Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, UT School of Nursing |
| March 6 | Euthanasia in Germany - 1930s and early 1940s Film: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas |
Ron Karni, M.D., Assistant Professor, UT Medical School |
| March 20 | Physicians and Nurses in the Camps Film: Out of the Ashes |
Cathy Rozmus, D.S.N., R.N., Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, UT School of Nursing |
| March 27 | Research in Germany - 1930s and 1940s Film: Forgiving Dr. Mengele |
Susan Benedict, D.S.N., R.N., FAAN, Director, Global Health; and Professor, UT School of Nursing |
| April 3 | Social Justice; and The White Rose Society Film: Sophie School The Final Days |
Stephen Linder, Ph.D., Associate Director, Institute for Health Policy; and Professor, UT School of Public Health Dr. Traute Lafrenz-Page, German-American physician, Former Member of the White Rose Society during World War II |
| April 10 | Field Trip Opportunity: Holocaust Museum Day | Cathy Rozmus, D.S.N., R.N., Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, UT School of Nursing |
| April 17 | Tuskegee Film: Miss Evers' Boys |
Nathan Carlin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, UT Medical School |
| April 24 | Rwanda Film: Sometime in April |
Susan Benedict, D.S.N., R.N., FAAN, Director, Global Health; and Professor, UT School of Nursing |
| April 29 | Evening Discussion Activity: How Historical Lessons Can Be Applied to Current, Relevant Ethical Dilemmas | Students of UT Medical School and UT School of Nursing will lead discussion |
To register for this class, contact Angela.Polczynski@uth.tmc.edu. For more information about this class, contact Nathan.Carlin@uth.tmc.edu.