This concentration seeks to give students a solid background in verbal and visual expressions to provide a lens and interpretive approach into the complexities, ambiguities, and nuances that define the human condition. Students learn about stroke, obesity, end-of-life, and heart attacks in basic science and clinical skills classes, but their understanding of the complexities and consequences associated with each of these is made more concrete by examining various forms of art. This concentration offers rich opportunities for study and exploration by way of the following: history of medicine, fiction/narrative, art, music, dance, film, and theater.

Curriculum

Students attend monthly meetings consisting of group discussion on required readings, special theater events, workshops in various fields of art and humanities, guest speakers, and films. Topics covered include but are not limited to: recognizing the significance of verbal and visual story in health care circumstances, the role of compassion in medicine, and applications of humanities to healthcare practice and research. Students have the opportunity to lead a monthly meeting to teach and/or discuss an aspect of the humanities as it relates to health.

A Capstone Project is required for this concentration relating to humanities in medicine. The Medical Humanities concentration partners with the USF Arts in Health Program to help students develop research projects and mentorships. Students in this concentration also take trips to museums such as the USF Contemporary Art Museum, Dali Museum, Ringling Museum, and Tampa Museum.

Opportunities

●        Participation in workshops on activities such as breathing, dance, drawing, and improv comedy

●        Opportunity to add to the medical humanities resources on the Health Humanities USF website, take part in     Bulletin Board projects, and participate in community outreach activities

Examples of Student Scholarly Work 

“Medical school admissions: the nontraditional way”  

“The alchemist: a podcast devoted to mitigating burnout by finding the magic in medicine”  

“Compassion in medicine through history”

“Learning styles and patient education and empowerment”

Faculty Leadership

Jordan Messler, MD
Marzenna Wiranowska, PhD
Jennifer Caputo-Seidler, MD