FRS 004 — Sec. 004 — (2 units) — CRN 26060 — M 6:10-8:00pm — 6202 GBSF
Organ Transplantation Ethics in Films and TV

Instructor: Christopher Bowlus, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, School of Medicine

Description: Organ donation and transplantation is an effective medical therapy that extends and improves lives. However, demand for organ transplantation is greater than the supply of organs leading to rationing. This basic fact of transplantation raises multiple ethical questions which are often dramatized in films and television. This course will exam various ethical issues surrounding transplantation with emphasis on the sometimes inaccurate portrayals in popular culture. Films to be examined will include Coma, John Q., Desperate Measures and 21 grams as well as current episodes of television series such as Scrubs. In addition, 2 sessions will involve mock Selection Committees in which patients will be presented and the students must decide whether or not to accept the patients for transplantation. The students will first learn the current system of organ donation and allocation with an emphasis on the ethical questions raised. They will critically analyze and discuss these issues as they are presented in film and television. At the end of the course, students will have gained an understanding of organ transplant ethics and how they are addressed in both film and reality.

Format: Each week a group of students will be expected to introduce the theme of the movie and lead the other students in a 10-15 minute discussion. They will individually write a brief synopsis of the discussion and stake an opinion that they must support in a 1500 word essay. Each student will be required to spend approximately 2 hours preparing to lead a discussion related to the topic addressed in the film. Additional time (approximately 2 hours) will be required to prepare an essay following the discussion. Grading: The seminar will be pass/fail. In order to pass, a student must achieve 75 out of a total of 100 points. 1/4 of the grade will be based upon each of the following: attendance, participation in discussion, leading assigned discussion and the essay.

About the Instructor:Dr. Bowlus is a member of the faculty of the Department of Internal Medicine.  He specializes in the treatment of liver diseases with a research focus on autoimmune liver diseases.  Current research projects include studies on the immunogenetic basis of primary sclerosing cholangitis.