Option 1

Write a letter in which you assess the risks and benefits of CAM treatment(s) for a specific disease or ailment. Ideally, you'll pick a disease or condition that you, a family member, or a friend actually has (you may focus on treatments or prevention). Alternately, you can write about a condition that interests you, even if no one you know has it, or you may write a letter to a fictitious person. In your paper (probably 6+ pages), make sure you do the following:

1) Introduce the disease/ailment, including addressing the traditional Western medical techniques that are being or should be utilized to treat it (e.g. lumpectomy and chemo for breast cancer). You may need to do a little reading in order to do this. (Note: Throughout the paper, cite all sources, and use only credible scientific sources, such as articles in peer-reviewed journals, government or credible .eduwebsites, the NIH, etc).

2) Introduce the CAM therapy/therapies that are relevant to the ailment. Use the NCCAM (NCCIH) website, Pubmed (through the library), and other credible sources to identify these.

3) Review and explain the risks and benefits of the CAM.

4) Draw conclusions. Make sure you base your conclusions on science. For instance, "I will use willow bark tea for my headache rather than aspirin because natural is better" is not scientific. "I will use marijuana for nausea during chemo because the research [that you've already explained and cited extensively] shows that it's safe and effective" is scientific.

5) Make sure you address whether the CAM should be used with traditional techniques/treatments or instead of traditional techniques/treatments, and why.

Please ask if you have any questions. This should be lots of fun, but it is important that you look into the science! Evidence-based decision making, folks 🙂

Option 2

Write a letter to an actual or fictitious individual who is either anti-vax or (better yet) on the fence about vaccines. Using the scientific literature (Panic Virus (the book we just read) is a good start, but make sure you use primary lit), lay out a case in which you show that:

1) Vaccines are safe, effective, and necessary

2) There is no scientific link between vaccines and autism, and in fact a link has been scientifically DISPROVEN

3) Same as above, but for autism and mercury

4) Leaving a child unvaccinated is not a personal decision, as it affects those around the child

I recommend you address many of the anti-vax myths discussed in the in-class lecture.

Whichever option you choose (CAM or vaccines), please make sure you are communicating effectively. Draw upon our discussions on how and why scientists fail to communicate effectively, and avoid the common obstructions to communication. This is NOT formal scientific writing; you are welcome to take a personal tone, write in first person, use second person (you), or any other rhetorical device you'd use if you genuinely wanted to help out a friend. I genuinely hope, but do not require, that you will deliver your letter to the person to whom it's written, so write accordingly! In the past, approximately 80% of the class has given the letter to its intended recipient, and these letters have been appreciated and well-received. If you choose to do so, I encourage (but do not require) you to get in touch with me afterward and let me know how your recipient felt about your letter!

Here is the most important vidoe about this writing, also there are many examples in the attachments.

https://files.fm/u/nrv6utsy#_