2018-2019 Caspersen School of Graduate Studies [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Medical Humanities
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About the Program
Medical Humanities examines the intersections of the human experience of health and illness; health care practices; patient, practitioner and caregiver communication; and the impact of biotechnological advances on each. Transcending the normative disciplinary boundaries of academia, this program engages numerous areas of study–from science, history, ethics, and philosophy, to anthropology, literature, religion, and art–in a dialogue that studies the meaning of health, wellness, and healing in relation to the individual and society.
There is ever-growing demand for professionals who understand and synthesize the ethical, historical, cultural, and practical aspects of health care, particularly concerning the implementation, regulation, and dissemination of health care. Presently, advances in science and technology often outpace our ability to understand and cope with new concepts and situations, resulting in a particularly acute need for health humanitarians. This program addresses these marked health care needs.
The Medical Humanities program is conducted jointly by the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies at Drew University and The Overlook Medical Center, Atlantic Health.
Director
Paul Kadetz (pkadetz@drew.edu)
Advanced Research
Medical Humanities students demonstrate competence in advanced research, interpretation, and exposition of a pertinent area of study that offers an original and meaningful contribution to human thought and relations. Masters of Medical Humanities candidates complete a thesis and Doctor of Medical Humanities candidates complete a dissertation.
Curricular Components
Courses emphasizing Biomedical Ethics explore health care issues encountered in practice, including ethical and religious debates concerning abortion, death and dying, and human experimentation; the language of ethics in daily health care situations; and the interpretation of ethical issues highlighted in the media.
Courses emphasizing Medical Narrative explore how to “tell,” “read” and interpret the stories of illness. Medical Narrative employs multiple approaches to facilitate patient-practitioner-caregiver communication and understanding, including anecdote, medical history and case presentation.
Clinical Practica involve the incorporation of medical humanities theory into health care practices. The practicum is individualized according to each student’s needs and interests, and can include clinical rounds, clinical observation, and Bioethics Committee meetings.
Programs
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