drawing of headphones Module 4 – Unit 5:  Listening Task  click to Listen

A Talk on the Greening of Medicine

Think About It   Comment on the following quote:

“I am grateful for antibiotics. I am grateful for emergency surgery. I am grateful for all the gifts that Western medicine has brought. But it is not the only game in town, and it is not the best game in town for many of the problems that we’re trying to deal with today.”     
     Dr. Tieraone Low Dog, talk at Bioneer conference, 2004

You will hear a segment from National Public Radio (NPR) with Dr. Tierone Low Dog. She is a well-known expert in alternative medicine in the U.S. Dr. Low Dog is a Native American herb lady, an M.D., and an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Family Community Medicine at the University of Arizona’s School of Medicine. She is also on the White House Commission for Alternative and Complementary Medical Policy. This is part of a talk she gave to health professionals at a conference in 2004.After you listen to each segment, answer the questions below. Do not worry about understanding every word. Listen for the key ideas.  

First Segment

  1. How would you describe Dr. Low Dog’s attitude towards Western medicine?
  1. What illnesses or conditions does she refer to? Check the boxes.

influenza              cancer      asthma      tuberculosis
diabetes              obesity      ADD         depression

  1. What is the tone of her talk? How do you think she feels?

Second Segment

  1. Dr. Low Dog poses several critical questions about the health care system in the U.S. In this segment, she focuses on pharmaceutical companies and research. How do you think she would answer these questions?
  1. Why is there little incentive to research natural remedies?
  1. Why is there a misconception that herbs have no value?
  1. When is there enough evidence that a remedy works?
  1. Why is there inequity in alternative remedies for patients?
  1. Dr. Low Dog focuses on a few examples to make her point. Take notes on what she says about these two natural remedies.

Natural Remedy

Illness

Effectiveness

Cost

Saw palmetto

      

Glucosamine

      

 

Third Segment

In her talk, Dr. Low Dog makes it clear that she does not understand why plant medicine and herbal remedies. (Check all that apply.)

are not studied in medical schools
are not prescribed
are not something doctors tell patients about
are not covered by insurance

  1. Why does she make a connection between medicine and the “spirit”?
  1. In her conclusion, she says that we have the “power within us to ____

_____________________________________________________________.”