The Last Lecture
Hi Class! As we come to the close of this class on ethics, there are so many subjects that we have discussed and so many that were not included due to time constraints. This week, as we discuss many ethical issues dealing with the end of life, this video gives one man’s interesting perspective of how he dealt with life at its end. I have enjoyed having each of you in class and hope that you leave class with a bit more wisdom than you entered.
I am including a web link to œThe Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. Dr. Pausch is a former Carnegie-Mellon University Professor who contracted pancreatic cancer and subsequently died. Before his death he gave his œlast lecture, a tradition among leaving professors. This amazing lecture was picked up by YouTube and immediately went viral.
The entire lecture is found at: http://www.cmu.edu/randyslecture/index.shtml
You will hear this man’s philosophy of encouragement from the perspective of one who is at the end of his life.
This is an inspiring lecture. I think that this is an appropriate lecture to watch. As leaders in health care, you will mentor many people in your lives. Take a moment to reflect on how you wish to influence others and how you hope to live your lives.
** Write a short sentence or more about how you believe you would react if you were given the same news as Dr. Pausch was given. Discuss if listening to this lecture has changed your thoughts about people with terminal diagnoses.
Remember, Ethics Matters.
Pausch, R. (September 18, 2007). Carnegie Mellon University Lecture Series: Journeys. In http://www.cmu.edu/uls/journeys/randy-pausch/index.html. Retrieved March 11, 2012
**NOTE
: If the web link does not work, please go to the Carnegie-Mellon website at
www.cmu.edu
and type in The Last Lecture.
