Sunday, April 20, 2008

Reflection on the Ethics Assignment

For our ethics assignment, Casey and I looked at a memo written by Adolf Hitler to the Nazi party speakers, which were basically the party leaders that made public speeches. He was addressing them regarding their membership to a church. In the memo, Hitler explains to the speakers that they should immediately leave the church because their only loyalty should be to him. He says in the memo that leaving the church would be "voluntary," however, if you've ever read history about the Nazi regime, you know that nothing was "voluntary." If the party leaders refused to leave the church, they most likely would have been punished severely by the Nazis. It is amazing to me to read historical memos that are so unethical, yet influenced so many people. Hitler had so much control over his people that he basically told his party officials that they could not go to church to worship a God that is more powerful than him. They could only worship him. Ultimately, it is seen in history how successful Hitler was at manipulating people into following him. It is evident in his writing that he was a mastermind of controlling others. He was able to convince the entire Nazi party that the extermination of the Jewish population would lead to a greater Germany.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Response to "Ethical Lapses Distract US Workers"

This article was a shocking article in my opinion. It is disappointing to read that 73% of Americans who are employed full-time report encountering ethical lapses on the job. Ethical lapses cause problems in the workplace that make it difficult to interact or communicate with coworkers. Ultimately, this dissonance in the workplace is distracting and can decrease a company's productivity. This article stresses the importance of having shared values in the workplace. It is important to educate workers on these values and the company's expectations regarding compliance with these values. The article also describes the importance of creating a corporate culture with a value system so that workers can be encouraged to engage in appropriate conduct which will ultimately result in increased performance. I also found it interesting when the article said that one in three workers who dealt with ethical lapses said that these ethical lapses happen at least once a week. Workers lose motivation to be productive in the workplace when inappropriate behavior is occurring around them. Another issue that the article addresses is the fact that not only do ethical lapses decrease productivity in the workplace, but also workers lose satisfaction with their jobs. It is difficult to be motivated to do well and be productive in the workplace when you are not happy with your job. The article also spoke about the distraction for workers that comes from disagreeing with coworkers on how to handle the ethical issues. The main argument is whether they should handle it themselves or report it to company management. When workers are having to spend their energy on how to deal with ethical issues, they are wasting time in the workplace in which they could be productive. I found that this article was very important considering the alarming statistics involved with encountering ethical lapses in the workplace. It is commonplace to find these ethical lapses in the corporate environment. Therefore, businesses should address these issues at the beginning in order to create an environment that is focused on ethics.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Web Writing

Writing for the web has become a very important way of communication in the business world. The accessibility and speed of the internet is necessary in today's rapid paced, modern business world. Writing on the web is similar to writing on paper in many ways. Both have distinct purpose and a specific audience that they are trying to reach. Written work on paper and on the web both require research to back up ideas. It is important that both are written without grammatical errors so that they can reach their audience in a more professional manner. There are also differences between Web writing and written work on paper. Web writing is for fast paced readers. Web audiences want to read the information quickly. Web writing also uses a more simple style and is written more concisely. Although web writing tends to be more informal, it is important to remember that web writing is representative of your business and product. The web also uses hyperlinks to get to other pages of content. Because web writing is for fast reading, headings, subheadings, and bullets are used to break up information and make it easier to read.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Togo Africa

Next fall I am going on a medical missions trip to Togo, Africa. I am very excited and and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this. I am going on this trip through my church at home. Several students from MUSC, Doctors, and Physician's Assistants are going on the trip. Togo is a thin strip of land situated in West Africa. I have wanted to be involved in medical missions for a long time, and finally have the opportunity to go. For about 2 years, I have been interested in joining the Peace Corps in Africa. I feel that this trip will be a stepping stone. I also have a passion for medical missions and hope that one day medical missions will be a large part of my life and career. I am a health major and am applying to PA school in the fall, so medicine is the career path that I am seeking. I think that this trip will be an eye opening experience and will give me clinical experience in a different environment. I look forward to this experience and can't wait to get going!

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Response to Lying on Your Resume

This article talked about the repercussions of lying on your resume. It is really difficult for me to think about lying on your resume...which is probably naive of me. I can understand the pressures of trying to make your resume more appealing to employers. I am currently experiencing the stress of trying to work on my resume for PA school. The article speaks about the fact that companies are now better at finding out when someone lies on their resume. Background checks are conducted to explain why an employee's performance is not up to par.
The article talks about the most common resume lies. Many resume lies are about academic credentials or making dates of employment look like you weren't unemployed for extended periods of time. Some people exaggerate about their job titles, or embellish their job responsibilities and achievements. The article also spoke about why people lie on their resumes. Some people feel desperate when they are unemployed for long periods of time and cannot seem to be hired.
There are many consequences for lying on resumes. When someone lies on their resume and make themselves look more qualified for the position than honest job seekers. Also, if someone lies on their resume, they will have to live with the fear of being caught. If they are caught they will be fired.
The overall message of the article was to let readers know that no matter how stressful applying for jobs are or how long one goes without employment, there are ways to be hired and to make your resume the best it can be without lying. The moral of the article is that it is not worth it to lie on your resume!!

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

REsponse to Presentations

I thought all of the presentations were very interesting. Each of the presentations stuck out to me in various ways. The presentation about Trans fat was very interesting to me because I am a Health Sciences major and have taken Nutrition classes. Ever since hearing the presentation, I have been obsessive about double checking nutrition labels on food to see if it contains "partially hydrogenated coconut oil". Surprisingly, everything that says it contains "Zero Trans Fat" actually contains the partially hydrogenated oil which means that it has Trans Fat. This just makes me more careful about what I eat. I also liked the presentation about Hershey chocolate and how to taste chocolate. I didn't know that chocolate was like wine and the taste should be savored. Also, I didn't know that Hershey's anniversary was coming up. The presentation about mules was extremely entertaining, as well. The graphics on the slide show were hilarious and the way that the information was presented was very interesting. It taught me a lot about the importance of mules. I thought it was interesting to know that one of my classmates has trained mules. The presentation on obesity and physical activity in adolescents was also interesting. One of the topics that we discuss pretty regularly in my major is how to solve the obesity epidemic in this country. The statistics and ideas for solving the problems were interesting, as well. Overall, the presentations in the class were all very interesting. It is always interesting to see the various topics that people present on and how everyone has different interests.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Mock Interview Reflection

Today I had my mock interview to practice for a job interview that I will be having this summer. I am applying for a job as an Emergency Tech at a hospital in Charleston, and the mock interview focused on this particular job. I eventually want to attend PA school, so I need a job that can give me firsthand clinical experience in the medical field. I thought the interview was very helpful. I was able to practice being confident and calm during the interview. Mrs. Rogers asked questions regarding the type of positions I had held in the past, what previous experience I had in medical care, what I am studying at Clemson, etc. I felt like the interview went smoothly like a normal conversation. I have had interviews in the past with other summer jobs, but have never had to interview for a position in the medical field. The questions that Mrs. Rogers asked me helped me to feel more prepared about the types of questions I may be asked when I actually interview at the hospital. I also had my resume and cover letter critiqued with some helpful hints on how to make them more effective. I thought the interview was fun, not scary at all, and it was very helpful in allowing me to have some practice for my actual interview.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Free Topic: Election

Lately, I have been extremely confused about the election. This is the first presidential election that I have been able to vote in since turning 18, and I have been trying to take it seriously. I have taken numerous quizzes to see which candidate I am most likely to vote for, done research on most of the candidates, and tried to keep up with the debates. However, I am still not sure who the right person is to be our next president.
I am a Health Sciences major, so one of the issues that interests me most is what the candidates plan to do to improve our Healthcare system. The issue seems to be whether or not we should have a Universal Healthcare system. It is easy to see that there are extreme divisions between political parties concerning this issue. Politics, for the most part, just annoys me because everyone is more focused on which political party they are a part of, rather than voting based on the issues.
One of the main things that I am trying to do is focus on each individual issue, rather than voting for a party. I want to vote for the candidate, not the Republican or Democratic party. However, there is never going to be the perfect candidate with whom I agree 100 percent. This is why I am still very confused about this election.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

I thought that the tips on how to write a good cover letter were helpful. I agreed with most everything in the tutorials. The tutorials spoke on how the cover letter should be personal and speak to one person in the company. I agree that this makes you stand out above other candidates if you can put yourself on a personal level with your potential employer. I also agreed that cover letters should not be sent out to every company that you apply for. This defeats the purpose of the cover letter if you send out one blanket letter to every company you apply to. I disagreed with the one part of the tutorials that spoke about adding a post script to the end of the cover letter. I believe that this makes the letter less professional. The most useful section of the tutorial was the cover letter checklist. It provides a backbone to the cover letter, and it keeps you on track when writing your cover letter. Before reading the tutorial, I was not aware that the cover letter needed to be a personal letter written to a specific person in the company. Now I can use this advice when writing my cover letter for my mock interview.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Helpful Articles about Interviews

The first article that I read dealt with asking the interviewer questions. You should always say "yes" when the interviewer asks if you have any questions. This simply shows your interest in the job. It also gives you a chance to "show off" your knowledge of the position that you are applying for. In my case, I would want to show my interest in attending the PA program at MUSC and would want to show that I had researched the school and new about the program. I would not want to ask questions about when our break is or how hard the exams might be. I would ask, 'How would you describe the ideal PA student?'
The other article that I read gave some tips on how to be relaxed for the interview. You should arrive about 1o minutes before the interview, but not much earlier because you do not want to cause yourself to worry. You should also relax so that you can appear as a confident candidate for the position. You should show your interviewer how calm and confident you are. The article also gave advice on how to relax yourself. It gave tips such as taking deep, slow breaths, sitting up straight and not crossing your legs or arms, speaking slowly, and keeping your jaw relaxed. Also, smiling is very important.


Monday, January 28, 2008

Comparing and Contrasting Senator Barack Obama's speech on Universal Healthcare

I am a Health Sciences major, so I have decided to write this blog on one of Senator Barack Obama's speeches concerning a Universal Healthcare plan. One quote at the beginning of his speech, Obama states, “In the 2008 campaign, affordable, universal health care for every single American must not be a question of whether, it must be a question of how. We have the ideas, we have the resources, and we must find the will to pass a plan by the end of the next president’s first term.” He is appealing to logos in the way that he is suggesting a definite plan must be made to solve the health crisis in America. Marting Luther King also appealed to logos in his Letter from Birmingham Jail, in that he tried to explain the social injustice of segregation. He explained why the argument should be fought in courts. However, he also explained in logical terms why that was insufficient.
One of the quotes from Obama's paragraph that stood out to me was, “Well we can’t afford another disappointing charade in 2008. It’s not only tiresome, it’s wrong. Wrong when businesses have to layoff one employee because they can’t afford the health care of another. Wrong when a parent cannot take a sick child to the doctor because they cannot afford the bill that comes with it. Wrong when 46 million Americans have no health care at all. In a country that spends more on health care than any other nation on Earth, it’s just wrong.” This paragraph does more to pull at the heart strings of those listening to the speech because it is easy to relate to. It appeals to our emotions when this particular subject is brought up. Also, the repetition of the word "wrong" causes listeners to pay close attention to this point.
Obama also offers the solution of preventative care in our country to reduce costs and increase the health of the population. Once again, he uses logic to explain the benefits of preventative healthcare.
Overall, I believe that Senator Barack Obama presents his speech through the use of logic while appealing to emotion. Although, I do not believe Senator Obama's rhetorical skills match those of Martin Luther King Jr.'s, he delivers a well spoken speech that causes listeners/readers to think twice about the controversial issue of health care reform in the United States.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

My life in 10 Years

Hi everyone! Well.... I actually have no idea where I will be in 10 years. This is surprisingly a tough blog because I am somewhat of a day to day person. I have a few ideas and goals that I would like to see myself accomplishing in the next 10 years, but who knows.
One of the most important things that I would like to accomplish would be to have graduated from Physicians Assistant school (for those who have never heard about PA's - they are basically a step below a Doctor- have their own patients, etc. ) I have always wanted to work in the the medical field. I am fascinated at the idea of helping people who are sick get better. I am especially interested in working in the neonatal unit of the hospital, dealing with premature and distressed infants. I have always loved children and babies, and hopefully in 10 years I will be working to help them.
I'm not really sure where I see myself living in 10 years. I really like city life, so New York or DC would really interest me. However, I have always wanted to live in Boulder, Colorado. Basically, I would like to live in an exciting place where I can work as a PA.
I do see myself eventually settling down and having a family. I would love to be a mother one day. However, will I have a family in 10 years? hmmm ... not sure yet. I eventually would love to have a large family. I love the movie "Cheaper by the Dozen" and the chaos of their hectic, but fun lifestyle. I never want to have a dull moment in my house, no sir. Whether or not I have a family in 10 years, I will have a dog. I am sure of that.
One of the most important things I would like to do in the next 10 years is to go to Africa and take part in medical mission trips. This is a big one for me. I have been wanting to do this for years. Hopefully, this dream will happen soon.
Who knows where I will be in 10 years. It is a tough one, but it's fun to think about.

Monday, January 14, 2008

The Machine is Us/ing Us

I believe the title of this video is illustrating the idea that computer technology has become so advanced in recent years. We depend on computers for everything. One part of the video stated that the "machine" learns how to do new tasks each time a mistake is made. Today, the internet grants us access to everything, and we can search for practically any information we want. Web 2.0 affects someone ready to enter the workforce because it helps potential applicants to get their information out to companies. There are many websites that allow people to post resumes and apply for jobs. It can also affect people ready to enter the workforce negatively because companies can see any information about yourself that is posted on the web. For example, pictures and information posted on sites like Facebook or MySpace have become common ways for companies to seek information concerning their applicants. Web 2.0 affects workers already in the workforce because it allows them to research, etc. However, some workers may abuse the web while at work, thus causing them to be less productive. When the video stated, "We will have to rethink everything," I believe it was referring to the idea that the internet is changing everyday. New technology is allowing the internet's capabilities to expand. This can create problems with privacy, etc. We may be getting ahead of ourselves in terms of expanding what we can do and find on the internet. This could potentially lead to negative effects if we do not figure out how to handle the new technology.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Heyward Cruce

Hi! My name is Heyward Cruce. I am from Charleston, SC. I am a Junior at Clemson majoring in Health Sciences. I hope to eventually attend Physicians Assistant school and work in Pediatrics. I have one sister, Mackenzie. She is my best friend and one of my roommates. She is currently a sophomore at Clemson. I like to paint when I can find time, and I have always wanted to be a drummer like Meg White from the White Stripes. Also, I would like to be involved with medical missions in Africa when I graduate. I am very blessed with a great family and friends and so happy to be attending Clemson!