Daliya Rizvi discussing her research with Bushra Shirazi which has since been accepted
for an oral presentation at the World Congress of Bioethics 2022
Internship Reflection
Daliya Rizvi
High-school student in USA, Daliya describes herself as a “student-scientist” whose interests include scientific research
This past summer, during my break from school in the US, I was fortunate enough to travel to Pakistan and intern at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), in the Center of Biomedical Ethics and Culture (CBEC) and the Center for Human Genetics and Molecular Medicine.
At CBEC, I learned about the process of sociological research. I participated in discussions on various topics and worked on creating an updated list of educational films with relevance to bioethics. I was particularly interested in the rights and freedoms available to minor patients, as well as the ethical issues associated with organ transplantation. During my internship, I also led an ethical discussion focused on Richard Selzer’s short story, “Raccoon.” I enjoyed analyzing the many ethical facets of the story with CBEC faculty while uncovering its messages about the physician-patient relationship and about the all-consuming nature of pain.
Although part of my internship was conducted virtually because of a lockdown in Karachi, I was still able to communicate and work as I would have in person. Struggling with certain concepts and asking CBEC faculty questions about their work helped me gain more confidence and improved my communication skills. While interning at CBEC, I began to focus on the importance of bioethics and bioethical education curriculums for young people such as myself. I noticed a lack of materials and resources available to teach bioethics to younger students, and realized the importance of expanding the scope of bioethics discussions to include younger demographics.
Thus, with help from CBEC faculty, I began working on a research project on the perceptions of students in Pakistan and the United States regarding bioethics. Since the lockdown, I have been continuing my research virtually. My goal is to better understand the perceptions and attitudes of young people regarding bioethics while contrasting responses from Pakistan and the United States in order to inform future educational frameworks for teaching younger students about bioethics.
Interning at CBEC has taught me so much about bioethical issues and the gray areas that characterize much of our healthcare system. It has instilled a newfound passion in me for sociology and qualitative research. I am greatly looking forward to completing my research study over the next few months.