MICHAEL Wallace, of St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe, believes “we should not allow technology to replace personal accountability for our own health”.
That belief was part of an essay the Year 11 student submitted to the Research Australia’s National Youth Ambassador program when he was in Year 10 last year.
The program aims to communicate the importance of science and health research to young people and to encourage middle school students (Year 9 and 10) to consider taking up a career in science. The national winners were presented with their awards in late November.
Research Australia chief executive officer Rebecca James said more than 73 schools from across Australia gave their views on the statement “Medical technology will always play a critical role in our lives”.
She said two Queensland students Michael Wallace and Andrew Haselgrove, a student at St Peter’s Lutheran College, Indooroopilly, were named Research Australia’s 2010 Nation-al Youth Ambassadors for Health Research.
“The Youth Ambassador program provides an ideal avenue to draw out the astute observations of some of our finest young students and hopefully lead them to careers in medical science,” she said.
Ms James said Michael’s winning essay in the national schools competition highlighted the need for people to appreciate developments in medical technology whilst taking responsibility for their own health.
“His essay also highlighted the growing pressures our society is placing on innovations in medical technology,” she said.
Michael said there were several reasons why he entered the competition.
“The chance to have my opinions recognised and acknowledged by such an esteemed audience, and the opportunity to be mentored by researchers and health professionals was an exciting prospect to me, and this is why I leaped at the chance to become involved in the 2010 Youth Ambassador program,” he said.
He said as the national winner, he received an Apple iPad, and as a state winner he was involved in a teleconference to develop a consensus statement on behalf of Australia’s youth that was sent to state and federal parliamentarians.
In his essay Michael said, “Whilst medical technology once served as a ‘secondary factor’ of health, contributing to wellbeing through the extension of ‘primary’ health factors such as nutrition, exercise and lifestyle choices, innovation in this field has allowed medical technology to become an omnipresent ‘primary factor’ of health.
“Thus the human species begins to experience a cognitive shift in its survival logic, with many substituting a commitment to nutrition, exercise and lifestyle choices with over-reliance on innovations of medical technology.”
A complete copy of his winning essay can be viewed on the Research Australia website under the “National Youth Ambassador” section.
