HEALTH HUMANITIES AND THE MEDICAL ARTS PROGRAM
The Health Humanities and Medical Arts Program (HHMA) is a home for faculty and students interested in the questions and themes at the heart of the intersection between humanities and medicine.
What is the meaning of health, life, death and suffering? Does caring for the patient mean more than treating the mechanisms of disease? How does empathy lead to better health outcomes and equity for patients and can it be taught?
The center of the program is the relationship between the healthcare professional and the patient, as it protects and promotes the flourishing of the whole person. Engaging the disciplines of philosophy, literature, religion, visual arts, social theory communication, and history, faculty and students have opportunities for scholarly dialogue, fellowship and research focused on the skills necessary for providing holistic, empathetic and equitable healthcare.
WHY HEALTH HUMANITIES?
The minor is interdisciplinary, allowing students to study medicine, illness prevention and human well-being and flourishment, through the lens of several academic disciplines.
Develop skills necessary for a variety of healthcare careers, including the ability to analyze illness, suffering and trauma, as well as deliver culturally competent healthcare. Students will gain practice in critical thinking, observational analysis, compassionate communication, values based decision-making and empathetic imagination.
A demonstrated academic focus in health humanities strengthens medical and graduate school applications and prepares students for employment in the healthcare fields.