Instructions:

Independently, provide brief (1-2 page) answers to each of the following questions. When you are finished, submit your answers to your mentor for review. There are no right or wrong answers; your mentor will look to see if you’ve thought the questions through and presented logical, meaningful responses. Then, your mentor will select a few of the questions from the list to bring to a group discussion, so be prepared to offer your thoughts and opinions if you want to share with the rest of the group..

Compare and Contrast Investigative Processes

1. In your investigations of the Linda Lawson gunshot case and the natural death of Nick Herren, you employed the scientific method to arrive at a conlusion about the cause of death.


• In what ways were the investigative processes for the two cases similar?
• In what ways did the investigative process for the two cases differ?
• What were the similarities and differences in the way you organized the evidence and facts of the cases?
• How did your organization of the evidence and facts help you progress toward a final conclusion?


2. For what purposes do other fields of practice use evidence? 
   


3. How was the process of gathering evidence for this rotation similar to and different from other times that you may need to find evidence to help you?

 

General Skills

 

4. For each of the following general skills that you used during this rotation, note the most memorable new skill or tool that comes to mind, and discuss why that aspect of the rotation still stands out in your mind.

1. Working in a team

2. Doing research

3. Organizing notes

4. Making an argument

5. Writing a document alone

6. Writing a document with a team

7. Giving a presentation

 

The Implications of Constraints on Investigations

 

5. The diagnostic process for a living patient involves practical constraints that are not a concern in an autopsy. With a living patient doctors must consider the relative risks of the potential diagnoses; if cancer and the flu are included in the differential diagnosis then testing for cancer is clearly a higher priority. However, the cost of the examinations required to test a hypothesis also helps determine the priorities of the investigation. It makes sense to conduct the less expensive tests first. The invasiveness of a diagnostic procedure or treatment must also be taken into consideration. Some procedures are riskier than others in terms of potential harm to the patient.


6. Imagine that Nick Herren regained consciousness after collapsing on the basketball court, and felt fine except for persistent migraine headaches. Refer to your differential diagnosis from Task 2.3 Prioritize Differential Diagnosis. Re-prioritize your differential diagnosis for the living patient, Nick Herren. How would your initial differential diagnosis be different from the one you created in Task 2.3 Prioritize Differential Diagnosis? Explain why you made changes.
7. Prior to this rotation you may have had little knowledge about the life of a medical examiner.
• How do you think the experience you had is simiilar to and different from that of a real medical examiner?
• What do you think a medical examiner has to know and be able to do to be effective in his/her work?
• What did you find interesting or intriguing about this line of work?
• What did you dislike about this line of work?