McCarthy Case

What does the author "do" in the article?

McCarthy shares with us her experience as a medical student who has the option of performing a dissection of a dog. The author has trouble on how she wants to view the dissection whether it is moral or not moral.

What ideas were presented, in what order, and supported by what evidence?

Most of the story the author is deciding whether or not to take part in the "optional" assignment. She tries to view herself as a doctor and what a doctor would do in her position. The doctor side of her is pushing her to get involved in the lab. For example "that dog lab was the kind of science we came to medical school to do". The other side she discusses is that is it morally right for a dog to be put under just for studying purposes? "I leaned over to pet him, and he licked my hand, looking up at me eagerly". During the stage where the dogs are going to be knocked out she realizes that those dogs are real and are happy and very playful and she starts to wonder if this is the humane thing to do. The majority of the story is McCarthy wondering on what she should as in whether or not to part take in the lab.

How did the article end?

McCarthy finishes off by claiming that having a doctor's point of view should not encompass her point of view and her personality. Her morals should not be determined by whether she is a doctor or not she should be able to make the decision by herself.

Offer a one or two sentence commentary that provides a quick insight into the article.

The author is put in a position where her morals are tested and she is a very committed student and she is conflicted on what to do. I think this can apply to all the pharmacy students because we will have to do dissections possibly living or dead and our morals will be tested as well. The question is whether we will find it humane or not or all in the name of science. Since she was the one to view the animals before, during, and after she was able to gain more insight than some of the other students who were debating whether to participate or not.