Medicine
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
| Medicine merit badge | ||
| ||
| Status: | Elective | |
| Created: | 1991 | |
| Discontinued: | no | |
| BSA Advancement ID: | ||
| Requirements revision: | 2005 | |
| Latest pamphlet revision: | 2002 | |
Contents |
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Merit badge requirements
- 1. Discuss with your counselor the influence that EIGHT of the following people or events had on the history of medicine:
- a. Hippocrates
- b. William Harvey
- c. Antoine van Leeuwenhoek
- d. Edward Jenner
- e. Florence Nightingale
- f. Louis Pasteur
- g. Gregor Mendel
- h. Joseph Lister
- i. Robert Koch
- j. Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen
- k. Marie and Pierre Curie
- l. Walter Reed
- m. Karl Landsteiner
- n. Alexander Fleming
- o. Jonas Salk
- p. James Watson and Francis Crick
- 2. Explain the Hippocratic Oath to your counselor, and compare to the original version to a more modern one. Discuss to whom those subscribing to the original version of the oath owe the greatest allegiance.
- 3. Discuss the health-care provider-patient relationship with your counselor, and the importance of such a relationship in the delivery of quality care to the patient. Describe the role of confidentiality in this relationship.
- 4. Do the following:
- a. Describe the roles the following people play in the delivery of health care in your state. (Note: Not all may exist in your state.)
- 1. Physician
- 2. Chiropractor
- 3. Optometrist
- 4. Podiatrist
- 5. Pharmacist
- 6. Psychologist
- 7. Physician's assistant
- 8. Nurse practitioner
- 9. Nurse-midwife
- 10. Registered Nurse
- 11. Licensed vocational/practical nurse
- 12. Medical assistant
- 13. Emergency medical technician
- 14. Medical laboratory technologist
- 15. Radiologic technologist
- 16. Physical therapist
- 17. Occupational therapist
- 18. Respiratory therapist
- b. Describe the educational and licensing requirements for five of those in 4a --other than 4a(1)- - practicing health care in your state.
- 5.a. Tell what is meant by the term "primary care" with regard to a medical specialty. Briefly describe the types of work done by physicians in the following "core" specialties:
- 1. Internal medicine*
- 2. Family practice*
- 3. Obstetrics/gynecology*
- 4. Pediatrics*
- 5. Psychiatry
- 6. Surgery
- 5.b. Describe the additional educational requirements for these specialties.
- 6.a. Briefly describe the types of work performed by physicians in FIVE of the following specialties or subspecialties:
- 1. Allergy/immunology
- 2. Anesthesiology
- 3. Cardiovascular disease
- 4. Colon and rectal surgery
- 5. Dermatology
- 6. Emergency Medicine
- 7. Endocrinology and metabolism
- 8. Gastroenterology
- 9. Geriatric medicine
- 10. Hematology/oncology
- 11. Infectious disease
- 12. Nephrology
- 13. Neurological surgery
- 14. Neurology
- 15. Nuclear medicine
- 16. Opthalmology
- 17. Orthopedic surgery
- 18. Otolaryngology/head and neck surgery
- 19. Pathology
- 20. Physical medicine and rehabilitation
- 21. Plastic, reconstructive, and maxillofacial surgery.
- 22. Preventive medicine
- 23. Radiology
- 24. Rheumatology
- 25. Thoracic/cardiothoracic surgery
- 26. Urology
- 27. Vascular surgery
- 6.b. Describe the additional educational requirements for the five specialties or subspecialties you chose in 6a.
- 7.a. Visit a physician's office,** preferably one who delivers "primary care." (This may be that of your counselor.) Discuss the components of a medical history and physical examination (an official BSA health form may be used to guide this discussion), and become familiar with the instruments used.
- 7.b. Describe the characteristics of a good diagnostic test to screen for disease (e.g. routine blood pressure measurement). Explain briefly why diagnostic tests are not perfect.
- 7.c. Show how to take a blood pressure reading and a pulse reading.
- a. Describe the roles the following people play in the delivery of health care in your state. (Note: Not all may exist in your state.)
- 8. Do the following:
- a. Discuss the roles medical societies, the insurance industry, and the government play in influencing the practice of medicine in the United States.
- b. Briefly tell how your state monitors the quality of health care within its borders, and how it provides care to those who do not have health insurance.
- 9. Compare and discuss with your counselor the health care delivery systems in the United States, Sweden, and China.
- 10. Serve as a volunteer at a health-related event or facility in your community (e.g. blood drive, "health fair", blood pressure screening, etc.) approved by your counselor.
* "Primary care" specialties
** If this cannot be arranged, demonstrate to your counselor that you understand the components of a medical history and physical, and discuss the instruments involved.
Source: 2007 Boy Scout Requirements (33215)
Notes
| A FREE workbook for Medicine is available here! (badge.pdf PDF or badge.docx Word) with the maps, charts, links, diagrams, and checklists you need! Or click here to print just the Medicine requirements. | usscouts.org has PDF and Word versions of workbooks for Scouts BSA ranks and merit badges, Cub Scouting ranks and adventures, and STEM Nova awards. |
Per the BSA: You should read the merit badge pamphlet on the subject. Merit badge pamplets are available at your local Scout Shop or online at ScoutStuff.org.
Help with these requirements
- 2: Survivor M.D. Explains the Hippocratic Oath, both modern and historical.
- 9: Privatization and Its Discontents — The Evolving Chinese Health Care System The New England Journal of Medicine looks at China's failing health care system.
- 9: Health and medical care policy and dental care The official Swedish government information page for the single-payer system.
