Senior student Elena Diller of Augusta University’s Medical College of Georgia was guest editor of this month’s edition of the American Medical Association’s Journal of Ethics, which focused on meat production, consumption and the effects of both on people’s health.
With this magazine, first founded in 1999, the American Medical Association strives “to help medical students, physicians and all healthcare professionals make sound ethical decisions in service to patients and society,” according to a press release from Augusta University.
After first being chosen in her freshman year for the opportunity, Diller said she was honored to be chosen as a guest editor, and was thoroughly interested throughout the process because it allowed her to create something that challenged her as a future working professional.
“It was really exciting to know that there was a project I could work on that was academically and professionally very good for my development, but it was also intellectually something I really cared about,” she said.
Diller spent years being guided by her mentor Dr. Laura Williamson, who is the director of the university’s Center for Bioethics and Health Policy, and decided to choose a topic that was inspired by her father’s past as a vegetarian, and her own interest in the bee industry.
“One of the things I’ve been thoughtful about for a long time is our food system and the way we use meat and dairy products in our diet, and how that is intertangled with our health,” Diller said. “It’s not just about what meat does in our bodies, but also about the health of the workers who are producing the meat and the effects of production on the environment. Food has always been interesting to me.”
Obtaining Augusta University’s Institute of Public and Preventative Health’s Graduate Certificate in Bioethics program while she was in medical school, Diller said she has always shown interest in ethical issues related to health; in the future, she hopes to become a part of the her workplace’s ethics committee for healthcare.
“I think a lot of times, particularly in healthcare, we want one right answer to a problem and there’s not always that one right answer,” she said. “There are ways [to approach an issue] that are better than others, and certainly there can be a nuanced debate on either side. But if we are trying to keep changing things in health care and ultimately make people healthier, we should be having discussions about how we best do that.”
Dedicating an abundance of time to writing and editing case commentaries that explored a variety of topics and issues, Diller also brainstormed multiple article ideas, and sought out experts to write them for the edition. Her ideas revolved around whether meat and poultry plants endangered workers, and what health profession students should know about industrial agriculture and disease.
“I’ve always been interested in how much we separate ourselves from animals. Even though humans are animals, we really act like we’re not,” she said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve understood more that our small, individual actions have a huge impact when everyone is making the same choices.”
Holding the belief that many are very disconnected from all the steps it takes to package and process meat into tidy plastic coverings, Diller said she hoped readers would take away newfound curiosity, and awareness for existing issues in the meat production industry.
“I want readers to know that this isn’t an anti-meat issue. I think a lot of people see something related to meat ethics, and they think it will automatically be filled with condemnation for people who are eating meat – and I don’t want that to be the takeaway at all,” she said.
Instead, Diller said she wants readers to be empowered with relevant knowledge to make confident choices, and possibly implement environmentally friendly practices.
“I just want readers to be more thoughtful about the people, the animals and the space we use to grow and slaughter essentially over 100 billion animals annually around the world,” she said. “I think, when we make choices that are a little more informed, it can transfer into consumer purchasing power. So, hopefully, people read something and think ‘okay this is something we need to work on or change, or maybe I can be a little more conscious about.’”
After graduating this upcoming May, Diller will head to the University of Texas’ Medical Branch in Galveston to pursue an internal medicine residency. From her experience as a guest editor, Diller said the opportunity gave her strong time management skills, because it forced her to prioritize school and the journal.
“It kind of helped me see an insider’s view of academic journals, and the strength and fortitude that’s required to push through an edition – navigating all the bumps when you’re planning a project, and trying to have a lot of academics contribute to it,” she said. “I was so honored to be chosen … it definitely taught me how to be in a position of leadership with a journal.”
Read the April edition, ‘Meat and Health’ at https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/issue/meat-and-health
