Stem Cells and Society - BIOL 71    home work  - due December 1, 2009

Find the description of a hospital medical ethics board or council or group (however it is named) for a large hospital in southern California, preferably one close to where you live or work, or one with which you are, or hope to be associated in some way.  You will find this to be more interesting if you have some connection to the hospital.  This must be a hospital large enough to do organ transplantation.

Find the description of a the group that determines whether research involving human subjects is permitted at a southern Californian reseach university, such as a UC campus or USC.  Again, you will find this to be more interesting if you have some connection to the university you select.

For each of these, describe
•    the name of the group
•    the composition of the group
•    the responsibility conferred upon this group - what is their job?
    •    what sorts of decisions do they make?
    •    in what cases have they made a rule that is now followed all the time
    •    versus when do they examine individual cases and make case-by-case decsions?
•    the source(s) of authority for this group
    •     state laws?  
    •    federal laws?
    •    hospital or university rules?
    •    other?
•    the way in which they make decisions - how do they describe their processes and their logic?
    •    what sorts of arguments prevail?

Your reaction:
    What do you think about this?  
    Do you approve of the way the system is set up?  
    What would you change; what do you like?  
    Explain yourself.