The Picture of Health: Medical Ethics and the Movies

Henri Colt · Silvia Quadrelli · Friedman Lester

May 2011 · Oxford University Press

About this ebook

Film and literature have long been mined for interesting examples and case studies in order to teach biomedical ethics to students. This volume presents a collection of about 80 very brief, accessible essays written by international experts from medicine, social sciences, and the humanities, all of whom have experience using film in their teaching of medical ethics. Each essay focuses on a single scene and the ethical issues it raises, and the volume editors have provided strict guidelines for what each essay must do, while also allowing for some creative freedom. While some of the films are obvious candidates with medical themes -- "Million Dollar Baby", "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" -- some are novel choices, such as "Pan's Labyrinth" or "As Good as it Gets". The book will contain several general introductory chapters to major sections, and a complete filmography and cross-index at the end of the book where readers can look up individual films or ethical issues.

Ratings and reviews

This is an useful book to use in Bioethics classes. The interface between Bioethics and Movies was explored in many other books, but this one is different. The variety of themes and the authors made the difference.

About the author

Henri Colt MD is Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. He is an internationally recognized expert and opinion leader in the development and dissemination of novel technologies for lung cancer diagnosis and interventional palliative procedures. During his career, he has worked or lectured in more than fifty countries, frequently discussing ethics and humanities issues in the context of medical practice, social injustice, humanitarian aid, and education. He has held numerous leadership positions in international and national societies, has more than 200 publications in various fields, and has authored or coauthored several books, book chapters, review articles, and commentaries. The recipient of honorary society memberships and numerous national and international awards from Japan, South America, Australia, and the United States, Dr. Colt has a long experience incorporating film and other media into lectures pertaining to medical ethics cultural diversity, religion pulmonary medicine, and end-of-life care. Silvia Quadrelli MD, MEd, PhD is Director of the Pulmonary and Critical care section of the British Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is an internationally recognized authority in the area of humanitarian assistance, and has devoted more than thirty years of her life to the global combat against poverty and injustice. In 2010, Dr. Quadrelli received the prestigious Medal of the Bicentennial from the City of Buenos Aires, as a "woman who has helped shape modern society." In addition to her background in medicine and teaching, she holds degrees in bioethics and university political sciences. She has designed several medicine and movies programs for the University of Buenos Aires, and lectures widely in South America and abroad on medical ethics, philosophy and medicine. Lester Friedman PhD is currently Professor and Chair of the Media and Society Program at Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Prior to this appointment, he was a member of the Medical Humanities Program in the Feingold School of Medicine (Northwestern University) and the Medical Humanities and Bioethics Program at Upstate Medical Center (Syracuse), as well as the Radio, TV and Film Department at Northwestern University and the Art Media Studies Department at Syracuse University. A internationally recognized expert in cinema and medical humanities, with a particular emphasis on health care and media studies, he has authored or coauthored more than 15 books, two screenplays, and numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts. In particular, he is the editor of CULTURAL SUTURES (Duke University Press), the first comprehensive book to explore the intimate connections between the cultures of medicine and media.