Modules for Anti-Racism Assignment
Bioscience 56 --Advanced Histotechniques: Open for Antiracism (OFAR)
Overview
This semester, we will be implementing a group activity where we look at the histology for the leading causes of death while also exploring how these diseases disproportionately affect people of color in America. There are several components of this project that culminate in a video presentation that can be used to inform our Merritt and employer community about these diseases and how they negatively impact us. This project will be done in several steps or 7 Modules as outlined below.
Action Plan
This semester, we will be implementing a group activity where we look at the histology for the leading causes of death while also exploring how these diseases disproportionately affect people of color in America. There are several components of this project that culminate in a video presentation that can be used to inform our Merritt and employer community about these diseases and how they negatively impact us. This project will be done in several Modules/Steps.
Training future bioscience researchers and laboratory healthcare workers on understanding how racism affects health outcomes is one of the areas of focus in my degree. Students receiving training in healthcare jobs that pay 6 figures should understand how systemic racism, environmental racism, and other social determinants of health have played their parts in the increase in disease unfairly burdening poor people and people of color which makes their high paying jobs possible.
Bioscience 56 - Advanced Histotechniques Course Description
Bioscience 56 - Advanced Histotechniques
Course Description
Applications of stains for carbohydrates, amyloid, connective tissues, muscle and nervous tissues, silver, microorganisms, and other special stains; immunohistochemistry, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines for working with bloodborne pathogens, fire safety, and hazard communication and chemical hygiene.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Apply and demonstrate skills in carbohydrate, amyloid, connective tissue, muscle, nervous tissue.
- Visually identify stains and target structures and pathogens
- Describe various histology techniques used by the histotechnician
- Demonstrate an understanding of how disease impacts people of color at disproportionate rates
- Demonstrate a basic understanding the negative effects of racism in science and healthcare
Anti-Racist Assignment / Module
Below is a week-by-week outline of the project. Attached are the 7 detailed modules with detailed instructions for carrying out the project in class.
- Week 1 Introduce the project
- Week 2 Research Public Health 101 Topics for a class wide discussion
- Public health goals with regard to racism
- Epidemiology – communicable and non-communicable diseases (disease patterns in urban communities and racial groups; etiology/systemic racism)
- Germ theory vs. Miasma (miasma theory rooted in racism and classism; germ theory disproved miasma)
- Social determinants of health (racism is considered the main SDOH)
- Inequities, racism, and unconscious bias in healthcare delivery (through the lens of doctor/nurse/tech/administration and others who interact directly with patients)
- Public health in clinical laboratories (the role clinical lab technicians play in antiracist healthcare delivery)
- Week 4 Begin working in groups. You will be assigned a disease from the following list:
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Lung
- Colorectal
- Breast
- Pancreatic
- Prostate
- Chronic lower respiratory disease
- Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases)
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Diabetes
- Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis
- Influenza and pneumonia
- Weeks 5-9
- Begin working on project outline and script
- Submit draft outline and script during week 8
- Weeks 10-13
- Record your presentation.
- Post your presentation to the discussion forum during week 13.
- Weeks 14-15
- Watch your peers' videos and provide feedback.