Medical Humanities Minor

The medical humanities minor is intended for undergraduate students entering health care professions as well as traditional humanities students. It seeks to educate students on humanistic issues in the medical profession and healing arts from an ethical, literary, psychological, sociological, and historical perspective. Courses within the minor investigate the intellectual background of medicine and will teach students to recognize and understand the complexity of the interpersonal, cultural, bioethical, and political aspects of medicine, and to analyze and evaluate how contemporary health services are organized and delivered. The minor is open to future medical practitioners majoring in the sciences, humanities majors interested in cultural study of medicine, and any other students whose major or career would be enhanced by an interdisciplinary study of humanistic elements of the healing arts. Students pursuing the minor must consult with their major adviser and with the medical humanities adviser to select courses that meet the program requirements. In addition to PHIL 317 , which is required, students will choose five different electives from two areas below. Other appropriate courses may count towards the minor at the discretion of the minor adviser.