Giving to Medical Humanities

The minor in Medical Humanities launched in 2013 with a handful of dedicated students, and since then has grown into an admissions-based program of over 150, one of the largest minors at Boston College. Our students come from a range of academic programs, including Biology, Psychology, International Studies, Sociology, History, Economics, and English. Though most are in the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, the minor also draws students from the Connell School of Nursing, the Lynch School of Education and Humans Development, and the Carroll School of Management. Minors are interested in health care, public health and policy, bioethics, and health care management, as well as narrative medicine, medicine and the arts, psychology, counseling, and disability studies. Most share a passion for service and social justice.

Our faculty come from eight Arts and Sciences departments offering a vibrant curriculum with courses in narrative medicine, bioethics, history of medicine, health economics, and health communication in addition to a cluster of courses in global public health. Many of our classes are small enough to be discussion-based, with faculty often involving students in their research. Our Advanced Electives are writing-intensive in their focus; our alumni report these courses helped them to hone their skills in reflection and improve their skills in critical thinking and articulation, both spoken and written.

Our learning extends beyond the classroom. Minors launched and continue to run an outstanding student journal in Medical Humanities. They collaborate in co-curricular events with the Medical Humanities collaborative at Harvard, have hosted a national conference for undergraduate and graduate students, and are currently collaborating with educators at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital on a day-long Medical Humanities symposium. They plan panels with area health-care workers and help to bring a vibrant roster of speakers on topics related to health care, both in Boston and beyond. They have launched a reading group and supported service organizations in the Boston area. Minors are justifiably proud to be part of one of the few minors in medical humanities in Massachusetts; many tell us the minor has been instrumental as they take their next steps (in medical school, public health programs, service positions, or careers related to health care.) None of these achievements would be possible without your contributions to the legacy of your alma mater.