Medical and Health Humanities Major
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree BA, Medical and Health Humanities
Program Director: Amanda M. Caleb, PhD
Affiliated Faculty
Amanda M. Caleb, Associate Professor of English, BA Davidson College, MA, PhD The University of Sheffield
Joseph A. Cipriani, Professor of Occupational Therapy, BA Wilkes College; BS College Misericordia; MA Wichita State University; EdD Nova Southeastern University
Joseph Curran, Professor of Religious Studies, BA University of Scranton; PhD Boston College
Kathleen Devine Gelso, Assistant Professor of Nursing, BSN Villanova University; MSN College Misericordia; DNP Chamberlain College of Nursing
Thomas Hajkowski, Associate Professor of History and Government, BA Seton Hall University; MA Villanova University, PhD Northwestern University
Susan McDonald, Assistant Professor of Social Work, BA Kings College; MSW Marywood University; PhD Fordham University
Kriszta Sajber, Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy, BA Reed College; MA, PhD Stony Brook University, The State University of New York
Anthony Serino, Associate Professor of Biology, BS MS University of Scranton; PhD The Pennsylvania State University
Ryan Weber, Associate Professor of Fine Arts, BA, MA Queens College - The City University of New York; PhD University of Connecticut
The Medical and Health Humanities program applies humanistic skills- critical assessment, reflective learning, collaborative problem-solving, and effective communication-to issues in healthcare and medicine and with an emphasis on cultural, familial, philosophical, spiritual, and social factors. Through its transdisciplinary structure and scaffolded experiential learning, the program challenges students to critically examine medicine and health care, and to apply their academic knowledge to practice in a meaningful and lasting manner that prepares students for leadership roles in health practice and research. The Medical and Health Humanities major prepares students for careers in medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, pharmacology, healthcare ethics, public health, public policy, healthcare administration, health education, community health, patient care coordination, healthcare advocacy, medical history, medical anthropology, and medical/healthcare writing.
Program Goals and Outcomes
The program in Medical and Health Humanities helps its majors to:
- Develop knowledge of how non-medical disciplines contribute to the study of health, illness, and care.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how cultural and social perspectives impact the concept of health.
- Demonstrate knowledge of factors that complicate health care delivery and health care access.
- Develop communication skills (written, oral, and visual) across multiple disciplines that will prepare them for professional life and/or graduate school.
The Medical and Health Humanities program goals are realized in the following student learning outcomes (SLOs):
Program Goal 1 Outcome:
SLO1: Students will be able to apply the concept of homeostasis to evaluate and solve physiological problems.
SLO 2: Students will be able to assess how non-medical disciplines approach the study of health and illness.
SLO 3: Students will be able to apply knowledge from non-medical disciplines to the study of health, illness, and care.
Program Goal 2 Outcome:
SLO 1: Students will be able to identify different cultural and social views of health.
SLO 2: Students will be able to assess how cultural and social perspectives impact concepts of health.
Program Goal 3 Outcome:
SLO 1: Students will be able to identify factors that affect health care delivery and health care access.
SLO 2: Students will be able to assess the impact of factors that affect health care delivery and health care access.
Program Goal 4 Outcome:
SLO 1: Students will be able to develop focused, convincing, and coherent arguments.
SLO 2: Students will be able to effectively use research, including evaluation and documentation of sources.
The Medical and Health Humanities major provides students with a strong transdisciplinary background in issues relate to medicine and health. The major has a large number of free electives and allows students to join the pre-Doctor of Physical Therapy program , specialize in pre-law , or pursue a double major in another humanities discipline.
General Requirements
Incoming first-year students seeking admission to the university as Medical and Health Humanities majors must meet the general and specific admissions requirements of the university as stated in this catalog. When the student does not fully meet those requirements, a personal interview is required. Continuation as a Medical and Health
Humanities major requires that the student maintain a minimum 2.0 or “C” average, both in the major and in the overall grade point.
After transfer credits are applied, transfer students must complete all of the remaining Medical and Health Humanities requirement as listed in this catalog.
Students in the Medical and Health Humanities major must complete the following requirements; the total number of credits, including University Core Curriculum Requirements and Electives, required for graduation with the Medical and Health Humanities major is 120:
MHH core (24 credits)
Humanities and Medicine (6 credits)
Critical Health Studies (6 credits)
Global Health Studies (3 credits)
MHH Electives (9 credits). At least two courses must be at the 300+ level.
Additional electives may be counted toward the degree requirements; please consult with the program director to verify if a course counts toward the major. Electives for the Medical and Health Humanities major may count toward core curriculum requirements.
In unusual situations, the Medical and Health Humanities program director may approve changes in specific course requirements. Final approval for transfer credits in Medical and Health Humanities or approval of off-campus courses in Medical and Health Humanities rests with the program director.
Recommendations
To receive a recommendation for graduate school, medical school, or law school, students must maintain a
minimum 3.0 or “B” average, both in the major and in the overall grade point average.
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