Goal 1.6 states that “students will be able to apply knowledge of biology to one or more contemporary issues in society.”
In BIOL 301 we completed a project to see how balance and mobility are affected by extra weight. This project and its results can provide new information for people that can be used to keep them safer in the workplace. Workplace falls are one of the big causes of people taking extra time off work. By spreading awareness of the mechanism of this, it could provide education for people to see how to be safer and prevent falls.
One big issue in society is the lack of access to routine health care. There are many people all over the country who cannot get access to medical care when they need it for emergencies, and also struggle to get preventative care annually. One specific issue that interests me is the lack of oral health care. Since I want to be a dentist, I have learned a lot about issues in dentistry, and also how important good oral hygiene is to keep the rest of the body healthy. In microbiology, we learned how much different bacteria is present in our bodies. Most of this bacteria is good for our immune systems, but there is some dangerous bacteria too. If people dont take good care of their teeth, infections can start and spread very quickly. These infections can be detrimental if not treated, and can eventually lead to issues all over the body like sepsis and cardiac problems.
Now, and in the future when I am a dentist, I want to advocate for and educate people about the importance of oral health. This topic is something that I am very passionate about and it spreading awareness about its importance can change the lives of many people.