| Course | MED 300 Historical and Contemporary Issues in Health |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 3 |
| Paper type | Reflection paper |
| Length | About 281 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | BS in Medical Studies |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for MED 300 Module 3
Paying More, Getting the Same: A Reflection on the U.S. Health System and Who I Want to Become
Student Name
BS in Medical Studies, Arizona State University
MED 300: Historical and Contemporary Issues in Health
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Paying More, Getting the Same: A Reflection on the U.S. Health System and Who I Want to Become
Assumptions This Module Challenged
I believed Americans spend more on health care because we use more of it: more visits, more surgeries, more hospital days. Papanicolas and colleagues lined up 2016 spending in the U.S. against ten wealthy peers: the U.S. spent 17.8% of its gross domestic product on health care, compared with 9.6% to 12.4% elsewhere, yet use of care was largely similar; prices, including drug prices and administrative costs, explained most of the difference (Papanicolas et al., 2018). That changed how I see the system: the problem is less what we do than what we pay for it.
Questions I Am Left With
I want to understand why administrative costs are so high in the U.S. and which parts of my daily work as a scribe, such as documentation for billing, contribute to them. I also want to know whether countries with lower prices have different waits or outcomes for the conditions I see in clinic.
Effect on My Future Practice
The readings on professional identity described it as something formed over time through experiences, role models and reflection, not just knowledge acquired in class (Cruess et al., 2014). As a scribe, I watch clinicians balance documentation demands against time with patients. I want to form an identity in which I advocate for patients against wasteful costs, explain prices honestly and protect time for listening.
Other Thoughts
A system that spends twice as much without doing more is not just inefficient; it shapes the professional lives of everyone working in it, sometimes in ways that fuel burnout (Shanafelt et al., 2015).
References
Cruess, R. L., Cruess, S. R., Boudreau, J. D., Snell, L., & Steinert, Y. (2014). Reframing medical education to support professional identity formation. Academic Medicine, 89(11), 1446-1451. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000000427
Papanicolas, I., Woskie, L. R., & Jha, A. K. (2018). Health care spending in the United States and other high-income countries. JAMA, 319(10), 1024-1039. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.1150
Shanafelt, T. D., Hasan, O., Dyrbye, L. N., Sinsky, C., Satele, D., Sloan, J., & West, C. P. (2015). Changes in burnout and satisfaction with work-life balance in physicians and the general US working population between 2011 and 2014. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 90(12), 1600-1613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.08.023
What the MED 300 Module 3 instructions ask for
The Module 3 Reflection Activity in MED 300 is worth 20 points and responds to the module on U.S. health care today and professional identity. Respond in your own voice to the three standing prompts about changed assumptions, further questions and professional impact, and support your statements with at least two professional references. The body is one double-spaced page with APA title and reference pages. Choose one or two readings or videos that genuinely changed your thinking rather than trying to cover everything in the module. Bring in one fact from the module's spending readings and one from the professional identity readings so both halves of the module appear.
How this MED 300 Module 3 example is built
The sample's headings follow the three reflection questions in plain words. The first answer states a common belief about U.S. costs and the international comparison that overturned it, with specific figures. The second turns curiosity into researchable questions tied to the student's job. The third uses research on professional identity formation to describe the kind of professional the student wants to become, and a closing thought connects costs to clinician burnout. Figures are reported precisely and explained in plain words, and the follow-up questions grow out of the student's clinic work, so they read as believable rather than generic. The final thought links the two module topics, costs and professional life. The opening admits a mistaken belief honestly, which instructors value in reflective writing.
Where the marks sit in the MED 300 Module 3 rubric
Graders give the 20 points to reflection grounded in specific readings, honest discussion of a changed assumption, concrete questions for further learning, a clear link to future professional life and correct APA references within one page. Marks drop for summaries of the readings, for generic statements, for fewer than two professional references and for late work. Instructors also reward reflections that connect two module topics rather than treating them separately, and that show the student thinking about their own role in the system. Accurate, current statistics with citations strengthen credibility. Concise writing helps. Naming one real number from a reading earns more credit than a general comment about high costs.
MED 300 Module 3 help with common mistakes
Pick one fact that surprised you and build the first answer around it. Connect the module to something you have seen at work, school or as a patient. Make your professional answer specific to the role you hope to have. Use APA in-text citations even in first-person writing. Proofread for length; one page goes quickly. If you are stuck for a professional angle, the desk can help. Look for one international comparison or national statistic that surprises you and build from there. Connect the system topic to the professional identity topic with a bridge sentence. Keep notes from each module's readings, since the final paper draws on them. Write the bridge sentence between your two topics first.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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MED 300 Module 3 questions, answered
Where can I find a free MED 300 Module 3 sample paper?
The full reflection on U.S. health spending and professional identity is on this page.
Why does the U.S. spend more on health care than other countries?
A major comparison found prices and administrative costs, not higher use of care, drove most of the difference.
How much of GDP does the U.S. spend on health care?
About 17.8% of GDP in 2016, well above the 9.6% to 12.4% range of ten peer nations.
What is professional identity formation?
The slow shift by which a trainee takes on the values, conduct and self-image of a physician.
Can I use first person in a MED 300 reflection?
Yes, but support your statements with references.