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t m c » p u l s e | a p r i l 2 0 1 7 16 "You hardly ever hear the term eugenics used today, but you proba- bly know the term medical genetics," Rubenfeld said. "If you do prenatal test- ing and find a fetus with a gene that the parents don't want, you eliminate that fetus. That is called medical genetics … seems like a good thing, but it is also called eugenics because you decided that whatever you are eliminating is an inferior fetus and you're getting rid of it." Rubenfeld points to other examples of eugenics in modern soci- ety, including the one-child policy in China, which skewed the birth ratio so much that, by 2005, China had 32 million more males under the age of 20 than females, according to the British Medical Journal. "In China, because of the birth restrictions, their society has said that to be female is inferior," Rubenfeld said. In addition, in vitro fertilization clinics that allow parents to select fetuses based on sex, potential talent, eye color, skin color and other genetic traits have applied genetic technology to non-life-threatening situations. "We certainly use genetic testing as a way of controlling the popula- tion—like avoiding devastating disease that will cause tremendous suffering," McGuire said. "It is a slippery slope when we start talking about using genetic and genomic technology to do sex selection. That suggests that there is a socially undesirable trait, whether it is being male or female, that any given individual is trying to avoid—or, in the case of countries like China, that an entire population is trying to avoid." For Rubenfeld, staying vigilant and informed about the medical lessons of the Holocaust can only improve the future. He will never forget. "Without examining the ethics of that time period and how they were transformed into very bad policies, we go blindly along assuming we aren't capable of doing similar things," Rubenfeld said. "But we are capable of doing similar things, because we have done them." 2017 EVENTS • REGISTER NOW For further information, contact Houston Methodist DeBakey Institute for Cardiovascular Education & Training 6550 Fannin St., SM14, Houston, TX 77030 Phone: 713.441.4971 • Fax: 713.441.0589 • DICET@houstonmethodist.org Cardiovascular Fellows' Boot Camp: Laying the Foundation AUG. 3-5 events.houstonmethodist.org/2017cvbootcamp Course Directors: Jean Bismuth, MD, C. Huie Lin, MD, PhD, Alan B. Lumsden, MD, Thomas E. MacGillivray, MD, Ross Ruel, MD, and William A. Zoghbi, MD OCT. 6-7 • events.houstonmethodist.org/advancedici Course Directors: Alan B. Lumsden, MD, and C. Huie Lin, MD, PhD INAUGURAL Advanced Interventional Cardiovascular Imaging NOV. 18 • events.houstonmethodist.org/achsymposium Course Directors: C. Huie Lin, MD, PhD, and Ari Cedars, MD THIRD ANNUAL Adult Congenital Heart Symposium: An Overview for Health Professionals MAY 5-7 • events.houstonmethodist.org/swvalve Course Director: Stephen H. Lile, MD Southwest Valve Summit 2017 JUNE 17 • events.houstonmethodist.org/cardiology Course Director: Alpesh Shah, MD and William A. Zoghbi, MD INAUGURAL Cardiology for the Non-Cardiologist Houston Methodist is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. These live activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit.™ Events hosted by the DeBakey Institute for Cardiovascular Education & Training Pre-Intern Training for Vascular Residents: "Jump Start" Your Training JUNE 12-14 • events.houstonmethodist.org/2017preintern Course Directors: Ulises Baltazar, MD, Charudaa Bavare, MD, Carlos Bechara, MD, Jean Bismuth, MD, Zsolt Garami, MD, Linda Le, MD, Richard W. Lee, MD, Alan B. Lumsden, MD, Jacob Nurko, MD, and Eric K. Peden, MD Vascular Fellows' Finishing School: Preparing for Practice MAY 5-6 events.houstonmethodist.org/2017vascular-finishing-school Course Directors: Ulises Baltazar, MD, Charudaa Bavare, MD, Carlos Bechara, MD, Jean Bismuth, MD, Linda Le, MD, Richard W. Lee, MD, Alan B. Lumsden, MD, and Jacob Nurko, MD THE FOLLOWING IS NOT ACCREDITED FOR CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION Tourists walk through the main entrance to Auschwitz concentration camp. Today, the camp functions as a museum. Credit: Martin Dimitrov/ iStock We certainly use genetic testing as a way of controlling the population—like avoiding devastating disease that will cause tremendous suffering. It is a slippery slope when we start talking about using genetic and genomic technology to do sex selection. — AMY McGUIRE, J.D., PH.D. Director of the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine

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