Sunday, April 24, 2016

Medical Technology

I’ve always had an interest in medical technology. In fact, at some point, I wanted to be a radiologist and then an ultrasound technician. Medical technology has always struck me as fascinating in the way that we can literally use technology to see through someone’s body. Medical technology an intrinsic part of society and, thus, do bring a different conceptualization of art to the forefront. As Professor Vesna mentions in lecture that medical technologies such as X-ray, MRI and CAT scan are all in fact forms of art in someway or another. MRI scans are also to be considered as a unique or different type of portrait in which it’s emphasis is on the inside of the human anatomy. In lecture, Professor Vesna also talks about how back then, medicine was in fact considered to be art because physicians who used tools or technology were not considered doctors. If we think about the medical world now, most doctors don’t consider chiropractors to be real doctors, but I believe that each medical field has its own uniqueness that is a work of both art and medical. Medicine is art in my eyes, regardless. It’s a miracle worker, something so extraordinary that saves lives and physicians and doctors are both artists and medical gurus.

Growing up, I’ve always had an interest in medical entertainment, so television shows like Greys Anatomy, House, Hawthorne, Scrubs, and even the latest Botched. Even though most of the shows are fabricated and overly exaggerated, I’ve still learned a great deal about medical terminology than I did throughout my educational years. Not to mention, the drama incorporated into it made it fun to watch and learn at the same time. That’s what sparked my interest in joining the medical field, however, it has yet to work out that way as my dreams and career goals have changed since I was younger. That’s not to say that I still don’t find medical technology fascinating because I in fact very much do.



A memory in particular is when I made a plastic surgeon and she told me why she wanted to become one. She said that when people go to see a doctor it’s usually to fix them and most of the time the mood or attitude is not so uplifting because of an illness or injury. But with plastic surgery, you make people feel beautiful and give them something that honestly makes them feel great and happy. Understanding plastic surgery—and the performance of medical procedures in general—as a form of art also peaked my interest. Plastic surgeons reconstruct and mold parts of the body, they use the human body, like artists use a canvas.


David M. Cutler and Mark McClellan make great claims in their article Is Technological Change In Medicine Worth It? About how Medical technology is valuable if the benefits of medical advances exceed the costs. They analyze technological change in five conditions to determine if this is so. In four of the conditions—heart attacks, low-birthweight infants, depression, and cataracts—the estimated benefit of technological change is much greater than the cost. In the fifth condition, breast cancer, costs and benefits are about of equal magnitude. They concluded that medical spending as a whole is worth the increased cost of care. In my opinion, medical technology is incredibly necessary and has changed the medical world by a landslide, saving more and more lives every year with it’s advancements and improvements.


Casini, S. "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between
Science and the Arts." Configurations 19.1 (2011): 73-99. Project MUSE. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
Cutler, David M., and Mark McClellan. Is Technological Change In Medicine Worth It? Health Affairs,
Casini, S. "Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts." Configurations 19.1 (2011): 73-99. Project MUSE. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
Jameson, Elizabeth. "Brain Cartographies." Image. Artspan. N.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.  
Orlan. "The Reincarnation of Saint-Orlan." Photograph. Thisisnotanart. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
Space.com Staff. California Science Center. Digital image. 10 Oct. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2016
Staines, Judith. "Culturebase.net - a Unique Online Source on Contemporary International Artists." Zoran Todorovic Artist Portrait. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. <http://www.culturebase.net/artist.php?188>  
Vesna, Victoria. "Medicine pt1." Cole UC online. YouTube, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
"20 Predictions in Medicine And Healthcare for 2014: From DIY Biotech to Mind-Controlled
Exoskeletons - The Medical Futurist." The Medical Futurist. N.p., 03 Jan. 2014. Web. 25 Apr.

2016. <http://medicalfuturist.com/2014/01/03/2014-predictions/>.

No comments:

Post a Comment