HEALTH HUMANITIES AND THE MEDICAL ARTS PROGRAM
The Health Humanities and the Medical Arts program offers academic and extracurricular opportunities for students to explore the intersection of human well-being and suffering—with equally foundational discussions about the goals of medicine and good healthcare in contemporary society.
Through the lenses of the humanities and social sciences— spanning literature, history, music, philosophy, theology, visual arts, communication studies, political science, psychology and sociology—students and faculty work together to gather and analyze knowledge, informing discussions about the prevention of suffering and promotion of human flourishing.
The program offers a dedicated minor, allowing students to explore the historic, social scientific and values-based aspects of medicine and health—mental and physical. Students engage through the lens both of specific disciplines in the humanities as well as interdisciplinary studies about the philosophy of medicine and healthcare over time and in culture. The minor is designed to help students develop the skills necessary for excellence in healthcare delivery and patient-centered healthcare.
WHY HEALTH HUMANITIES?
The new Health Humanities and the Medical Arts minor features several required courses, as well as a number of elective options from several interdisciplinary areas. Students can expect course options in departments including: Classical Studies, Communication, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science.
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.