Where am I, where am I going: I am currently completing my thesis focusing on the ethics of studying suicide among Aboriginal populations. I am heading into my masters of health ethics at Memorial University in St. John’s Newfoundland. This program has a practicum component where we get experience in clinical ethics consultations, research ethics meetings, and ethics policy development. Over two years we will develop skills needed to identify and analyze ethical issues in health care and life sciences settings and will gain a basic knowledge of the functioning of the health system. I will be finishing my degree with three research papers which can focus on a number of different issues such as neuroethics, ethics of genetic research, and disability theory.
What stood out about Carleton Neuroscience: Right from first year I found the information extremely interesting.The program allowed me to take what I was learning in classes and directly link it to what I was seeing in my day to day life. I currently work in a personal support home for people with severe mental disabilities and the knowledge I gained from my degree is extremely helpful. I also found the community amazing. From the annual neuroscience holiday party to the Neuroscience Society events to Brain Awareness Week students were always able to get involved and network amongst themselves and faculty; which really enriched my time at Carleton.
Advice: My advice to new students would be to use your electives to explore classes outside of science and psychology, which I found most people stuck with. If I hadn’t taken a chance on a philosophy class I may not have discovered my love for bioethics, and there are so many amazing classes at Carleton. It doesn’t matter if you’re interested in poetry workshops, languages, or humanities you can gain a lot by expanding your horizons.