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Medical Humanities and Health Studies

Students

What can Medical Humanties do for you?  Hear from some of our current and graduated students:

 

"I did not understand healthcare beyond science, technology, the diagnosis of diseases, and the treatments for those diseases.  I was focused on what the pharmacy profession could do for me and not what I could do for the profession, and ultimately, the patient.  By shaping my education into an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary study of medicine, I have gained an understanding of the humanistic, social, and cultural elements of healthcare.  Further, I have also learned how medical practitioners influence patients as they experience health, disease, suffering, and dying….Perhaps the most important lesson that I have learned is the importance of treating the entire patient: body, mind, spirit, and soul…I believe that my Medical  Humanities Health Studies education is a major reason why I was accepted into Purdue’s School of Pharmacy."

Nicole Helsel

B.A., Individualized Major in Medical Humanities & Health Studies (2011)
Currently enrolled in Purdue University’s School of Pharmacy

 "The MHHS capstone was a phenomenal experience! Working in the Applied Medical Sociology Laboratory offered me the ability to participate in an active research project on adolescent mental health as an undergraduate. I highly recommend the Medical Humanities & Health Studies minor to anyone interested in moving beyond a reductionistic biological focus in medicine to a more holistic synthesis of science, history, literature, ethics and research practices. A must for those planning careers in medicine and health related fields."

Wyndy Greene Smelser

Manager, Client Service
G & S Research, Inc., Kennesaw, GA

"The Medical Humanities and Health Studies program at IUPUI was the critical link between my non-clinical background, and my desire to become a part of the healthcare community.  I was an undergraduate Philosophy major with no direction-until I found Bioethics and Medical Humanities through the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI. I believe that the integration of health studies into my curriculum made me an outstanding candidate for graduate school, particularly when I wanted to focus on both the medical community, and the healthcare system as a whole.  Since my time as an undergraduate at IUPUI, I have been able to fill my CV with several other experiences, however, I will never remove my undergraduate minor in Medical Humanities and Health Studies (MHHS), and will bear the education with pride.  If there was a recognized major in MHHS at the time, I most certainly would have jumped on the opportunity! An urban research institution like IUPUI, home of the Indiana University School of Medicine, is the absolute perfect place to house such a program in Indiana. "

Macey Leigh Thompson, J.D.

CEO and Co-Founder of HERO Network (http://www.hero-network.com/)
Research Associate, IU School of Medicine, Section of Adolescent Medicine
J.D., IU Maurer School of Law - Bloomington
Candidate, M.A. in Philosophy with a concentration in Bioethics, IUPUI
Ph.D. student, Health Policy and Management, Dept. of Public Health, IUSM

"I chose the Medical Humanities program at IUPUI because, as a pre-med student, I wanted to develop a functional picture in my mind of a healthy human being which I could use to evaluate the health of my future patients. I was confident that medical school would teach me the physical aspects of health, but as a Christian, I believe that a healthy human life involves much more than mere biology. Pope John Paul II wrote in his encyclical letter The Gospel of Life that, "Respect for life requires that science and technology should always be at the service of man and his integral development. Society as a whole must respect, defend, and promote the dignity of every human person, at every moment and in every condition of that person’s life." This call to defend the dignity of human life also led me to choose the Medical Humanities program because of its unique focus on Bioethics. During my time in the program I’ve researched and written on critical bioethical issues, including end of life health care, organ trafficking, and medical decision making. I believe that my studies within the Medical Humanities program have broadened and enriched my understanding of health and humanity."

George Kane (2013)

Individualized Major in Medical Humanities & Health Studies
Minor: Chemistry
Bepko Scholar

"Choosing to minor in medical humanities was the best decision I made during my college career.  Although I made the decision a bit later than most students (during the fall of my senior year), I have gained more from my medical humanities classes than I ever anticipated.  As a pre-med student, I cannot underestimate the importance of a strong background in the humanities as well as the sciences.  I think that often times students who want to go into a health-related profession forget about the human aspect of medicine…that their future patients are people with hopes, dreams, goals, and emotions.  Medical humanities emphasizes the patient experience from a literary, bioethical and historical standpoint.  I am certain that the insights I have gained and continue to gain as a result of my training in medical humanities will be invaluable throughout my career as a physician."

Dillon Etter (2012)

Biology & Spanish Major
Chemistry & Medical Humanities minor
Bepko Scholar
2012 Chancellor’s Scholar, IUPUI Honors College

"The usefulness of a Medical Humanities minor is manifold. It has influenced my academic, professional, and spiritual life. Academically and professionaly speaking, I was given the opportunity through the MHHS capstone course to do research with a Chancellor’s Professor. This research has led to my current employment, which has opened up an entire world for me that includes several scholarships that will pay for my graduate school and many contacts and opportunities that very few jobs could give. Also, the quality of professors in the Medical Humanities Program has challenged me to look at my world differently. Topics like death, aging, and disease are things I avoid automatically, but I have realized that this type of attitude is not acceptable for me and that I want to be more present in my life. I was able to apply what I heard in class in my everyday life, talking and sometimes just sitting with loved ones while they dealt with their own mortality. These are experiences that have forever changed me, and I was able to express these moments in class and in my school work. There was a freedom to share and learn from others that I have not experienced in my other classes. I am grateful that I found this program."

Daniel Thacker

Bachelor of General Studies (anticipated May 2012)

"Several of the best classes I have taken during my undergraduate career here at IUPUI are from my Medical Humanities minor. I thought to be successful in a medical career, you’d need to only know science. Medical Humanities has taught me about the integrity of the medical profession and the compassion towards other professionals in the field including the patients. If I knew about this program my freshmen year, I would definitely do a double major in Biology and Medical Humanities. In my opinion, this program is one of the reasons why IUPUI is great and distinguishable prominent from other universities!"

Pich Seekaew

Major: Biology
Minor: Medical Humanities & Health Studies
Matriculating Graduate Student in Neurology
Research Intern, Department of Neurosurgery, IU School of Medicine
Joseph Russo Memorial Scholar
Top 100 Most Outstanding Student Award Recipient 2010-11