广州中医药大学博士口语试题及答案(2015)
Questions for PhD students (2014)
1. Should a country give free medical care to its citizens?
1．A government should provide medical care for free because it is the right for all individuals. Everyone has the right to live, to receive help to survive. Imagine the poor people can‟t afford even for their food and daily need, what will they able to do save their life when facing disease. Even such small diseases like cold and cough make their life harder, what happens when cancer or some other serious diseases occur? To solve that problem, government is the answer. Some people say citizen should take their responsibility not to leave the government with more pressure and difficulty. I remind them that citizen pay taxes to pay government work and spend money for their health insurance, they are obliged to get help through the hard time. The government‟s responsibility is to its people- their education, their safety, especially their health. 2. Why is it important to follow proper procedures when performing a medical experiment or examination?
2. Before beginning any medical experiment or examination in a lab, the most important thing is to follow proper procedures. Following proper procedures usually has many benefits such as following. First of all, it protects our personal safety against being threated, such as not being infected or not suffering from skin irritation. What‟ more, following the proper procedures always lead to a clear an d accuracy experimental result than not. Last but not least, almost each of experiments should pass though the ethical review especially studies in human, which becomes a common step must be followed in the procedures nowadays. Not following proper procedu res may cause many damage even can‟t be recognized immediately. Firstly, those who do not follow proper procedures usually have more chances to be exposed in danger of contact explosive substance or irritation. Some injuries were immediately appeared, however, some only showed up as late as many years went. Then, without following proper procedures, the experimental results usually can‟t be identified as coming from the experiment or the error impacts. Finally, such experiments that without passing ethical committee usually cause severe medical disputes. All in all, it is so important to following proper procedures when performing the medical experiment or examination.
3. Why are people given vaccinations? How do vaccinations work?
3. It is the safest and most effective way of giving protection against many diseases. After given vaccination, people are far less likely to catch diseases if there are many cases around them. The benefits of protection against diseases far outweigh the very small risks of vaccinations. If enough people in the community are given vaccinations, the infection can no longer be spread from person to person and the disease dies out altogether. When a person is vaccinated, their body produces an immune response in the same way their body would after exposure to a disease, but without the person suffering symptoms of the disease. When a person comes in contact with that disease in the future, their immune system will respond fast enough to prevent the person developing the disease.
4. Please describe some types of pollution and how they affect the body.
4. Air pollution is mostly caused by industries that emit gases such as carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide. Dark smoke from engines and vehicles also exacerbate our atmosphere‟s already worsening condition. If the
air around us gets contaminated, the effect can be devastating. In the short time, it can result to upper respiratory ailment in humans like bronchitis and pneumonia. It also aggravates the condition of those who are already suffering from asthma and emphysema.
Water pollution increases when the industrial waste is being thrown in rivers of seas.it can lead to some harmful health hazards like heart disease. In worst cases, even damage to vital organs like the brain, liver, kidney, and nerves.
5. What are some differences between Western medicine and Traditional Chinese medicine?
5. TCM and western medicine, the two systems differ in many ways. I will give three examples. First, the definition of health: western medicine frequently attributes sickness to the intrusion of a foreign element such as bacteria, viruses, or cancer cells, while TCM often views illness an imbalance between the various bodily systems. Second, the methodology, western medicine prides itself on using scientific methodology. It takes precise measurements, performs carefully controlled experiments, and uses clinical trials. In contrast, TCM is largely evidence-based. It was founded on pre-scientific theories of cause and effect, and is deeply rooted in the Oriental notion of opposites: the yin and yang. The last is the diagnosis of disease, among the significant differences in two systems is the method of assessing illness. Western doctors examine bodily fluids and tissues, and they use high-tech instruments such as X-rays and CAT scans to produce precise visual maps of the internal organs. TCM assesses illness with altogether different kinds of measurements, namely “looking”, ”listening and smelling”, “asking” and “touching”.
6. Do you believe music can have healing effects on patients? If yes, what type of effects can it have?
6. I believe that music can have healing effects on patients. Music Therapy is an established healthcare profession that uses music to address physical, emotional and social needs of individuals of all ages. Many researches have shown that music has a profound effect on our body and psyche .Music Therapist use music to work on promoting wellness, managing stress, alleviating pain, enhancing memory, improving communication, promoting physical rehabilitation. Those who practice music therapy are finding a benefit in using music to help cancer patients, children with ADD, and others. Even some hospitals are beginning to use music and music therapy to help with pain management, to help ward off depression, to promote movement, to calm patients, to ease muscle tension, and for many other benefits that music and music therapy can bring. 7. Do you think ancient doctors and philosophers understand nature and man better than modern doctors and philosophers?
7. To most people, modern doctors and philosophers are known as scientists more widely accepted and forms the stream toward nature and man. While I have utmost respect for the advancement modern doctors and philosophers have made until today, I have come across enough cases that makes me convinced that ancient doctors and philosophers is the superior choice to modern doctors and philosophers when it comes to understand nature and man. Fist of all, ancient doctors and philosophers addressed the question of how human beings should secure the „good life‟ and how to „live well‟, that is, the capacity to live as well as one may in ways that are appropriate for rational and conscientious beings. What‟s more, ”philosophy” for the ancients encompassed a wider range of intellectual activities and approaches than those nowadays. Last but not least, modern doctors and philosophers don‟t seem to have such ability above, most of them are more
likely to rely on instrument examination. All in all, ancient doctors and philosophers understand nature and man better than modern doctors and philosophers.
8. How many hours should a person sleep on average every night? What time should a person go to sleep and rise?
8. A person functions best should sleep 7-8 hours on average every night. And the sleep requirement is relevant to person‟s age. In other words, it is important to consider how much sleep you need on an individual basis, and this varies based upon many factors such as the quality of sleep obtained, state of general health, levels of stress, or fatigue due to prolonged exertion. However, a recent research study found that sleeping less than 6 hours or more than 9 hours a day had an increased incidence of diabetes, compared to those who slept 7-8 hours. What time should a person go to sleep and rise? Western medicine suggests early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy. There are numerous reasons for that saying , such as going to sleep early is very impo rtant for the liver‟s health, is good for our antibody system. However, traditional Chinese medicine emphasize that the time to go to sleep and rise should be adjusted to follow the change of different seasons. For example, people should go to sleep early in the evening and rise late in the morning in winter in order to store energy in our physical body.
9. What organs are affected by smoking and which diseases can be caused?
9. The effects of smoking are serious. It can harm nearly every organ of body. The chemical in tobacco smoke harm our blood cells and damage the function of our heart. This damage increases our risk for atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease (CHD), heart attack, stroke. Cigarette could damage our breathing and scars our lungs. Smoking causes: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, chronic bronchitis, pneumonia. Smoking is as bad for our eyes. Research has linked smoking to an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, cataract and optic nerve damage, all of which can lead to blindness. Smoking is one of many factors that increase our risk for osteoporosis. Smoking cigarette is the number one risk factor for lung cancer, and is known to cause: bladder cancer, blood and bone marrow cancer, cervical cancer, kidney and ureteral cancers, esophageal cancer, laryngeal cancer, tracheal cancer, mouth, nose, and throat cancer, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer and so on.
10. What organs are affected by drinking alcohol and which diseases can be caused?
10. The alcohol can harm nearly every organ of the body such as brain, heart, liver, pancreas, stomach, and so on. Alcohol-related disruptions to neurotransmitter balance also can trigger mood and behavioral changes, including depression, agitation, memory loss. Long-term heavy drinking weakens the heart muscle, causing a condition called alcoholic cardiomyopathy . A weakened heart cannot pump enough blood to nourish the organs. In some cases, this blood flow shortage causes severe damage to organs and tissues. Symptoms of cardiomyopathy include shortness of breath and other breathing difficulties, fatigue, swollen legs and feet, and irregular heartbeat. It can even lead to heart failure. Chronic heavy drinking can cause fat to build up in the liver. This condition called fatty liver, is the earliest stage of alcoholic liver disease and the most common alcohol-induced liver disorder. The excessive fat makes it more difficult for the liver to operate and leaves it open to developing dangerous inflammations, like alcoholic hepatitis. It may also cause disease of pancreas like acute pancreatitis.
11. Do you believe modern lifestyles and technologies are leading to healthier people? Why or why not?
11. There are two sides to the coin, as far as modern day lifestyles are concerned. On the one hand, technology has subverted us to a great extent, so much so that for many of us, our lifestyle has become sedentary. A sedentary lifestyle coupled with a rich food habit, and has made us all prone to disease and illness. The number of people succumbing to cardiac ailments has risen greatly. And obesity brings along with health issue like diabetes. So in a way, the modern day lifestyle has left us more prone to disease. However, today we are also aware of the ailments around us, and also about what needs to be done to mitigate these ailments and ensure we do not get them. People are more aware of their bodies and the different things that could go wrong with it. Besides, fitness is a new mantra among the younger generation today, ensuring that they are on the road to a healthy future. So to sum it up, the modern day lifestyles and technologies may be cause of wrong as far as disease is concerned, but we also now equipped with know-how and awareness required to avoid these illnesses.
12. Please describe one of the body’s systems and the function(s) it performs.
12. Female productive system is the system of production in female human beings. It consists internal and external parts. Internal parts are the functional parts of reproductive system. There are uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries. All these organs are necessary for reproduction: uterus is the hollow, muscular organ in which a fertilized ovum develops until birth; fallopian tubes are to conduct eggs from the spaces around the ovaries to the uterus, in which fertilization normally occurs; the ovaries are most essential because they produce the female gametes and female sex hormones. External parts are accessory parts of female reproductive system. They are vulva, labia, clitoris, which help in the process of fertilization and parturition. As stated above, female reproductive system is mainly concerned with producing eggs and bearing the fetus throughout the developmental phase. The ovaries produce eggs, which are fertilized by sperms and zygote is formed. The development of zygote to a complete human baby takes place in female reproductive system.
13. Which do you believe is more effective, Chinese medicine or Western medicine?
13. Both Chinese medicine and Western medicine have their uses and have been helpful to lots of people in one way or another. Chinese medicine more of a preventive medicine and deals more with root causes of the problem instead of symptoms. Chinese medicine treats patients as a whole, and remedies such as herbs, acupuncture are used to justify the body to its normal state. While western medicine focus on some local lesions, and relies on drugs, surgery and radiation to cure them. From my perspective, we can‟t simply say which one is better, I suggest that we choose these two methods properly according to the diseases we have got. For example, we choose western medicine for infections or acute symptoms while Chinese medicine may be better in some chronic diseases.
14. Do you think food is an important factor in keeping healthy? Why or why not?
14. Diet are pivotal to determining a person‟s overall health, because it is what we put in our bodies what ultimately dictates the regular functions of our body systems. To get all the nutrition the human body needs, we must eat a balanced diet including fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and so on. Eating highly varied foods will help insure you get all the vitamins, minerals, oils, enzymes your body needs. Vegetables and fruits are good sources of vitamins and mineral. Gains are good sources of fiber and other nutrients that play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health. By eating a balanced diet, we‟ll have a healthy heart, healthy brain, and a fully functional immune system.
15. What are the differences between an acute and chronic disease?
15. First of all, an acute disease lasts for just a short time, but can begin rapidly and have intense symptoms. In contrast, a chronic disease produces symptoms for quite some time, lasting for three months or more. Then , both an acute disease and chronic disease can be mild, severe, or fatal. However, a chronic disease is likely to develop overtime while an acute disease often has a sudden onset. The term acute disease dose not indicate the severity of the disease. Instead, it indicates how long the disease lasts and how quickly it develops. A chronic disease is persistent. It lasts for a long period of time and may recur. Examples of acute diseases include colds, influenza, and strep throat. Examples of chronic diseases include kidney disease, cancer, diabetes and so on. What’s more, some acute disease may resolve by themselves, like cold, without requiring significant medical attention or treatment. Others are those may often require medical care and prescription medication. Frequently, hospitalization is required as well. On the other hand, chronic diseases often require the the use of prescription medication. Sometimes, hospitalization is required as well. Frequently, medical intervention make an individual with a chronic disease more comfortable, but usually chronic diseases cannot be cured. 16. Do you feel it is ok to screen embryos for genetic diseases such as cancer?
16.There are two sides to the coin, as far as screen embryos for genetic diseases are concerned. First of all, it is a good thin for the parents who have genetic diseases to have a baby without genetic disease. A new method that was developed recently, called pre-implantation genetic haplotyping (PGH), allows parents to detect about 6,000 genetic diseases and decide whether they would keep the babies at risk or not. Some of the diseases that could be detected and avoided are cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, spinal muscular atrophy, and muscular dystrophy. However, this newly developed method carries a lot of dilemmas, especially ethical dilemmas about the possibility of choosing the embryos as well as the child‟s gender. Screen embryo always lead to more than one embryo being left. Every embryo is a life, screening the best embryo is equal to kill other embryos, it is immoral.
17. Do you think people who go to have cosmetic surgery should have to be tested for psychological issues?
17. Yes, I think people who go to have cosmetic surgery should have to be tested for psychological issues, the reason is that some people want to have cosmetic surgery for more beautiful appearance, but another people may have a kind of mental illnesses called body dysmorphic disorder(BDD), it is a common mental health problem. People with BDD spend an excessive amount of time thinking about a minor or imagined defect in their physical appearance, and are distressed about it. When people have BDD, they intensely obsess over the appearance and body image, often for many hours a day. They may seek out numerous cosmetic procedures to try to “fix” the perceived flaws, but never will be satisfied. So it is necessary to typically run a series of psychological tests and exams to diagnose.
18. What is the correct and healthy way to lose weight?
18. The common sense advice is “eat less, move more”. There are a few tips:1. Eat a healthy breakfast every morning. If you skip breakfast you‟re likely to eat more calories by bringing later in the day. 2.Avoid eating anything 3 hours before sleeping. 3.Avoid chocolate, cake, brownies, potato chips, ice cream, or dizzy drinks. 4.Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, especially if you feel like snacking or for dessert. 5. Drink plenty of water, and cut down on carbonated beverages, particularly those with a lot of sugar. Try to not drink any soda. 6. Sleep at least
7-8 hours a night. This will boost your metabolism. Wake up at a normal hour like 7 or 8 or 9 am, if you are pushing it. Go to bed before midnight. 7. Don‟t forget about exercising, try to do cardio exercises at least 20-30min a day.
19. What eating or exercise habits do you feel are good for heart health?
19. First, control your portion size. How much you eat is just as important as what you eat. Second, eat more vegetables and fruits which are good sources of vitamins and mineral. Third, select whole grains which are good sources of fiber and other nutrients that play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health. Fourth, limit unhealthy fats and cholesterol. Limiting how much trans fats you eat is an important step to reduce your blood cholesterol and lower your risk of coronary artery disease. A good goal for many people is work up to exercising 5 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes at a time. Keeping the good eating or exercise habits will reduce your risk for heart disease.
20. Do you feel it should be illegal to smoke in public places?
20. Yes, I do believe it should be illegal to smoke in public places. People shouldn‟t have the right to smoke wherever they want. Passive smoking kills so many people it‟s not fair on others. First of all, it will significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks and other diseases, particularly among individuals such as children and non-smokers. What‟s more, it will help public places be less toxic and we won‟t have to deal with pollution. Finally, it could also help some people quit smoking. If people were allowed to smoke in public places they may not be as motivated to stop smoking as they are with not being allowed to smoke in public areas.
21. Do you think there should be high taxes on cigarettes to help pay for health costs for people with lung problems?
21. Yes, I think so. First of all, a large number of lung cancer and smoking cigarettes cause very close relationship. Incidence of lung cancer growth and increased sales of cigarettes were parallel. Cigarettes contain carcinogens. Those who have habit of smoking lung cancer incidence rate 10 times higher than non-smokers. Then, the greater the amount of the tax increase, the fewer cigarettes that are bought and consumed. This is especially prevalent amongst teenagers. The research found that for every ten percent increase in the price of a pack cigarettes, youth smoking rates overall drop about seven percent. So in my opinion, high taxes on cigarettes may lead to a decrease in smoking rates, which will reduce the lung problem. And many lung diseases are caused by cigarettes, the taxes from cigarettes pay for health costs for lung problem is leads to a decrease in smoking rates. 22. What are the reasons for people to avoid or protect themselves from direct sunlight? 22. There are two reasons: for beauty and for health. In Asia, most women think white skin is a sign of beauty, so they protect themselves from direct sunlight to avoid to become dark. Another reason is that sunlight contains ultraviolent light that can have significant deleterious human skin. Aside from skin aging these energetic light waves produce mutations in the DNA of skin cells which can accumulate to produce skin cancers. The incubation period can extend to decades. In areas close to the equator inhabited by individuals with poorly-pigmented skin， the incidence of skin cancers is dramatically increasing. Since skin cancers are composed of masses of cells the most consistent warning sign is the development of a persistent bump or shot in an area of sun-damaged skin. Since these cancers require a blood supply they often exhibit small friable feeder vessels which are likely to bleed with minimal trauma and produce superficial erosion.
23. Who do you feel holds the responsibility of caring for the elderly? 23. I believe that adult children should take care of their elderly parents as necessary. Parents provide for the care of their children; this should be a reciprocal relationship when the child grows to adulthood. Parents are morally and legally obligated to care for their children when they are young, they provide shelter, food, clothes, and so on. It is therefore only fair that when those children grow up and their parents become elderly, they take up some responsibility to provide a decent life for their parents. At the very least, an adult should fund the care of their elderly parent if the parent is unable to do so. Since parents were responsible for their children‟s care, there is moral obligation for those children to take care of their parents when they become elderly. While it is not a legal obligation, it is a moral obligation. And the government should services available to them, too.
24. Do you feel that doctor assisted suicide is moral or immoral and why?
24. I think it is moral in some way. The society I live believes it‟s moral to kill a criminal through lethal injection or a sick pet to relieve its misery, but not a person who is terminally ill and in constant pain. I think it‟s contradictory. we ourselves have an obligation to relieve the suffering of our fellow human beings and to respect their dignity. Lying in our hospitals today are people afflicted with excruciatingly painful and terminal conditions and diseases that have left them permanently incapable of functioning in any dignified human fashion. They can only look forward to lives filled with yet more suffering, degradation, and deterioration. When such people beg for a merciful end to their pain and indignity, it is cruel and inhumane to refuse their pleas
25. Is it ethical to conduct medical experiments on patients without their knowledge?
25.No, it isn‟t. Patients not only have the right to know the medical experiments, they also have the right to know how the experiment conduct. What the aim of the experiment, the risks of the experiments, the benefit of the experiments. What are patients should sign to agree to participant in the experiment. In addition, patients have the right to drop out from the experiment whenever they want.
26. Why do you feel that women live longer than men on average?
26. I think that one important reason is women develop the lethal disease such as cardiovascular disease, like heart attack and stroke usually in their 70s and 80s, about 10 years later than men who develop them in their 50s and 60s. Another area where we see higher death rates among men is the depressed, especially older men. And stress plays a very important role in cardiovascular disease. In general, there are three things men do worse than women. They smoke a lot more. They eat more food that leads to high cholesterol. And perhaps men tend not to deal with their stress as well as women. They may be more prone to internalizing that stress rather than letting go---though that‟s a fairly controversial point.
27. What do you think is the healthiest way to cook food?
27. The healthiest way to cook is one that locks in flavor and retains valuable nutrients. Healthful cooking helps you manage your weight by controlling calories and ensuring overall good health. Steaming is a healthful method of cooking. The key is to avoid overcooking your food, so that it retains as much natural flavor and nutrient content as possible. Grilling, is one of the tastiest ways to cook a healthful meal, which makes added fat unnecessary and helps to keep calories low. The high heat also helps lock in valuable nutrients. Stir-frying is ideal for retaining the vitamin and mineral content of foods. Poaching is a healthful
way to cook because the method calls for no added fats or oils. Simply simmer food gently in a liquid, such as water, broth, or juice, until it is thoroughly cooked and tender.
28. Do you think it is better for women to give birth naturally, or with help of surgery and medicine?
28.I think if there is no need to surgery, the best way is to give birth naturally. Although, caesarean delivery may be considered that is quick, clean and convenient, it also has its disadvantages-the most obvious being the post-operative recovery period. Contrary to popular perception, delivery by caesarean section is far from an „easy‟ option. Caesarean mothers are never able to jump off the operating table and get straight back to normal. And a mother who has experienced a natural birth is usually able to become involved in family life within hours of birth and can get back to normal daily life within just a few days. Besides, born vaginally have a lower risk of respiratory problems.
29. What can be done to guarantee against counterfeit medicine.
29. To effectively fight counterfeit medicines around the world and in China, key stakeholders – including health care professionals, manufacturers, law enforcement officials, and others – must combine their efforts. In 2006, the WHO helped to create the International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce (IMPACT). To prevent the manufacturing and distribution of counterfeit medicine, IMPACT has implemented and enforced legislative and regulatory infrastructures. New packages are likely to have more anti-counterfeit components – including radio frequency identification (RFID) and coding devices for approved medicines – so that consumers can clearly check the authenticity of pharmaceutical products and trace their supply chains.
30. Why is it so difficult for people to stay with a diet or exercise?
30. When making the change to a healthy lifestyle it can all seem overwhelming. Many of us have been inactive for years and the thought of heavy sweating, muscle soreness and the time commitments associated with working out ca n be enough to turn anyone away from doing it. On the diet side of the equation it doesn‟t look any easier. You‟ll need to stop eating the high fat, high sugar foods that have become a daily part of your life. Then replace them with fruit and veggies and lean cuts of meat. The combination of the two will undoubtedly change your body and drastically improve your overall health. But that is not easy to do all at once. I think that it‟s easier to concentrate on just one part in the beginning.