Medical Humanities
Medicine and the humanities have forever been interwoven. Great literature has been written by and about physicians. Medical practice has been written by and about physicians. Clinical practice has always operated within the guidance of ethics, law, and religion. The work and science of healing have always been a focus of philosophers and historians. The care of the sick and dying has reciprocally called the attention of sensitive physicians to the meaning and chronicles of human life.
Medical Humanities is an interdisciplinary exploration of how humanities disciplines can engage and illuminate the nature, goals and practice of medicine. It explores the integration of the scientific understanding of physical nature and the humanistic understanding of experience. The Division of Medical Humanities, Health Law, and Ethics' mission is to advance knowledge and appreciation of the humanities, ethics and law as they interface with the science and art of medicine through education and service to the University of Connecticut (UConn) Health Center community. Our goal is to integrate humanities into the medical and dental school curriculum not to provide clinicians with a civilized veneer, but to allow them to reach to the heart of human learning about meaning, life and death and become kinder, more reflective, practitioners.
Courses in the Humanities
A number of courses are offered to medical, dental, and public health students to increase the awareness and appreciation of art, poetry, literature, philosophy, and bioethics and to enhance clinical and socio-behavioral educational experiences. The following is a list of required and elective courses offered at the UConn Health Center in the Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine and the Graduate School with a humanities focus.
Health Law and Ethics (HLE)
As part of the second-year required course, Human Development and Health (HDH), medical and dental students are exposed to the
intersection of medicine and law in clinical practice and the legal and ethical aspects of health care. 5 credits for HDH. Zita Lazzarini, J.D., M.P.H. (Community
Medicine).
History of Medicine
An elective course offered in the fall to medical students focusing on the history of medicine. The course examines medicine's historical context and the cultural and social settings in which medical developments have taken place. 4 credits. Ralph Arcari, Ph.D. (Community Medicine)
History of Public Health
An elective examining the development and fundamental historical themes of public health, from ancient civilizations to the present, with emphasis on public health history of the United States and its relevance to current public health issues. The development of local, state and national public health agencies in the U.S. is highlighted. The history of specific disease entities are discussed to illustrate major themes. 3 credits. Joan Segal, M.S. (Community Medicine)
Medicine and Art
A new elective offered to first- and second-year students that brings students out of labs and classrooms into the New Britain Museum of Art where they work with museum volunteers to hone their skills of observation and decision making and help to develop an appreciation for the humanities by looking at art. 4 credits. Charles Leach, Jr. M.D. (Medicine)
Medicine and Literature Elective
This elective course provides an opportunity for first- or second-year medical students to read, discuss, and interpret the fictional and non-fictional writings of physician-scientists. Students will engage in the process of reading and writing, broaden their education into the humanities of health care, and explore issues at the core of caring for people. 4 credits. Richard Zeff, Ph.D. (Pathology)
Movies and Medicine: Using Film to Reflect on The Patient, The Family
and Illness
A first and second-year elective course designed for students who have an
interest in film and want to explore themes about how patients and their families
are affected and changed by illness. Through the viewing of and discussion
about various carefully chosen films, students gain an appreciation of the
many issues that face a patient and his/her family when an illness is present.
Students keep a journal, discuss each film in depth, and write a final paper
and give a brief presentation about a film of their choosing. 4 credits. Catherine
Weber, Ph.D. and Hugh Silk, M.D. (Family Medicine).
Poetry and Medicine
Poetry and Medicine is a second-year elective course that focuses on the reading,
writing and discussion of poetry with medical themes. Students will gain an
appreciation of poetry as an instrument for expressing the many emotions inherent
in the practice of medicine, from the viewpoint of the patient, patient's
family, physician and other health care professionals. At the end of the elective,
a student poetry reading is held. 4 credits. Catherine Weber, Ph.D. (Family
Medicine).
Lectures/Seminars/Conferences
During
the academic year, two lecture series are offered regularly which have a Medical
Humanities emphasis.
Community Medicine Seminar Series
A monthly seminar series devoted to humanities, law, ethics, and other aspects
of medicine and public health. The seminar series is coordinated by Zita
Lazzarini, J.D., M.P.H. and is held during the lunch time hours throughout
the academic year. Presentations are open to the Health Center community and
general public. Schedule
of Seminar Series Sessions
Robert U. Massey History of Medicine Society
Coordinated by the Division, a monthly series of presentations on the History of Medicine is offered
through out the academic year. The Society
seeks to foster an understanding of medicine's historical context and
an appreciation for the cultural and social settings in which medical developments
have taken place. The Society encourages health sciences students to acquire
an appreciation for their historical heritage. All lectures are open to the
Health Center community and general public. » More Info
Resident Personal and Professional Development Conference
Held annually in the Fall for Residents. The topic for 2004 is Professionalism
and previous topics included sessions on medical errors. Large and small group
discussions will take place on Fridays, September 17 and October 8, 2004.
For further information, contact Dr.
Adam Silverman, Dr. Susan Levine
or Dr. Kiki Nissen in the Department
of Medicine.
Extracurricular Activities with Humanities Focus
Students are encouraged to explore the humanities as they relate to the study of health sciences outside the classroom. Engaging in extracurricular activities can help students to think critically, appreciate the human experience, and become well-rounded empathetic practitioners.
Literature & Medicine: Humanities at the Heart of Health Care
A new program being offered for the first time at the UConn Health Center
in Spring 2005 by the Division of Medical Humanities, Health Law, and Ethics
in the Department of Community Medicine, the UCHC Medical Humanities Interest
Group and the Connecticut Humanities Council. For further information about
this exciting new program, visit the program's
event page.
Literature Club
An informal extracurricular literary study group facilitated by Dr. Richard
Zeff in the Pathology Department. The group meets regularly in student and
faculty homes throughout the academic term to read and discuss literature.
Student Literary Essay Contest
An annual literary contest held since 1998 for medical and dental students
coordinated by Karen Harrington, MSW in Student Continuity Practice (SCP)
Office. Students are encouraged to submit a copy of one of their previously
submitted journals that they wrote for Principles of Clinical Medicine (PCM).
Suggested essay topics include their SCP experience, the doctor/patient relationship,
a reflection on their personal and professional development in medical school,
or a short essay on medicine in general. Invitations to participate are sent
out in late March and the winners are announced in May. Five faculty members
not involved with SCP or PCM serve as the reviewers. The winning essayist
receives a $100 award and the possibility of the essay's publication in Connecticut
Medicine. For further information, contact Prof. Karen Harrington.
Miscellaneous
Art at the UConn Health Center
The UConn Health Center Auxiliary (UCHCA) and the UConn Health Center Art
Committee maintain the Health Center's artwork collection and schedule artwork
exhibits throughout the Health Center's main buildings. View selected pieces
of artwork currently in the UConn Health Center's art collection at http://libdatabase.uchc.edu/arts/all.asp.
Check out the recent exhibits at http://www.uchc.edu/auxiliary/artexhibits.html.
Medical Humanities Resource Links
These are a few resource links in the area of medical humanities relevant to the University. A more comprehensive annotated listing of hyperlinks by topic (e.g. art and medicine, history of medicine, literature and medicine, etc.) can be found in our Medical Humanities Links of Interest area.
UConn-Storrs Humanities Institute - An institute directed by Richard Brown, Ph.D. on the main University of Connecticut campus in Storrs which offers faculty and student fellowships, seminars, and workshop programs in the humanities, broadly defined.
Literature, Arts and Medicine Database at NYU - An annotated bibliography of prose, poetry, film, video and art which was developed to be a dynamic, accessible, comprehensive resource in Medical Humanities, for use in health/pre-health and liberal arts settings.
Medical Humanities Research Database - A comprehensive educational resource for the use of all those interested in the use of the arts and humanities in medical education and research. It is maintained by faculty at University College London.
History of Medicine Division at NLM - Home page of the NLM which includes upcoming exhibits, online presentations, library collections, and images from the history of medicine.
Updated: September 22, 2006
