In
1972 the University of
Connecticut School of Medicine established a Division of Humanistic Studies
in Medicine in the Department
of Community Medicine and Health Care; it was one of the first medical
schools in the nation to do so. Originally, the division was to focus primarily
upon the growing discipline of biomedical ethics,
but to include also the humanities — philosophy,
history, literature, and theology — as these touched upon the science
and art of medicine. Through the division a course in ethics and health
law became, under the late Jay Healey and his associates, a requirement
for first-year medical and dental students and one of the most popular courses
in the curriculum. Over the years, the Graduate Program in Public health,
also located in the Department of Community Medicine, has drawn on the faculty
of the Division and developed a required course in Public Health Law and offering
others in the history of public health and ethical issues. Over the last 30
years, biomedical ethics, humanities, and law occupy an essential place in
the medical, dental and public health curricula at the University of Connecticut.
As the organization of heath care becomes more complex, and as business and
commercial interests intrude on all aspects of medical practice, ethics, morality,
jurisprudence, and legal issues have taken on more importance.
In 1998 after an extensive strategic planning process, the division changed its name to the Division of Medical Humanities, Health Law and Ethics reflecting its roots in the humanities, medical jurisprudence in health care, and ethical issues, however its focus remained the same: educating tomorrow's health professionals to become compassionate, empathetic practitioners, investigating ethical and legal problems in clinical practice and biomedical research, scholarship, and service to the community.
Updated: September 22, 2006
