Professional Philosophy of Karl Berry, III

The human body is an art form to my family and I and it is made very apparent when you speak
to us on anything involving it. My mother and I are on our fourth viewing of every season of the
show Bones. My favorite series currently on-air is Grey’s Anatomy. I subscribe to multiple
YouTube channels dedicated to the mysteries of our anatomy and physiology. The idea of
potentially witnessing surgery before my eyes fascinates me. My favorite course at the College
of Western Idaho was pathophysiology, I often read ahead in the textbook for fun. I believe that
a good time in Las Vegas must include a trip to the BODIES exhibition at Luxor whenever the
itinerary allows. Lastly, I study my grandmother’s charts and speak in detail to her oncology
team about her disease progression and accompanying underlying ailments. So when consulted
with the age-old question of what my career plan would be, I knew the answer would be
something involving human anatomy and physiology. Initially, I believed education or a
coroner’s office was calling my name until I spoke with nurses and physician assistants and their
passion for their day-to-day rounds drove me towards becoming a registered nurse (RN). This is
also when I learned that values I would have brought to those other two occupations would also
be showcased as an RN. They are representation and education.

REPRESENTATION: It is a fair assessment to say Black people in the United States of America
have not always had the best treatment the country has to offer. This has certainly become a
factor in why we do not see many Black people in certain positions and the medical system is no
different. Within the same realm, the treatment of Black people has led to a mistrust in the
medical system that has been perpetuated on through to generations even younger than my own.
Growing up, I did not experience a Black person in a hospital or clinical setting until I was a
senior in high school and wondered where my people were in the building. I wondered where my
people were in the entire field of study. This questioning became yet another motivation for me
pursuing becoming a registered nurse. I want to be the person to represent a race of people that
have formerly been wronged by the field of medicine and show them that the field at-present is
safe and trustworthy. I want to be in the position that we do not see many Black people hold,
because many view it as intangible or unrealistic. I want to be the person the younger me was
asking to see in scrubs.

EDUCATION: I write down quotes from various sources within entertainment or literature and
one that comes to mind as a personal value is from an interview with famed astrophysicist Neil
deGrasse Tyson: “In life and in the universe, it is always best to keep looking up.” I take that
statement to mean I should always strive to learn more, to seek further education for my own
betterment, whether formally as in taking courses, attaining credits, and receiving degrees or
informally as in learning a trade, a skill, a new hobby, or just informing myself of the world
around us. I also take this as a call to look forward and be the educator that can be used as a
means for someone else to seek that further education. As an RN, the opportunity to seek
education and be the educator will present itself to me on the daily. I will be learning about how
numerous illnesses are dealt with from first-hand testimonies, how we can currently solve the
medical emergencies that everyday life sends our way, and how we are improving as a species
through medical advancements that will inevitably help us continuously increase our healthy life
expectancies. At the same time, I will also become a credible source that can spotlight the
immediate path leading to healthier lifestyles, help patients learn what is happening to their
bodies and why, and accurately fact-check misinformation that may lead to ambiguity,
dishonesty, mistrust in the medical field.