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Undergraduate Bulletin College of Arts and Sciences
Department of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine

Minor in Medical Humanities

Students on Summer 2021, Fall 2021, or Spring 2022 requirements MEDHUMMIN

The Minor in Medical Humanities examines the "human side" of medicine with goal of helping those who aspire to enter careers in medicine become more empathic and humane health practitioners. Students who complete the minor will develop competencies and skills required to conduct medical research responsibly, to collaborate and communicate effectively with their peers and with their patients, and to reflect on urgent questions that arise during the emotionally-loaded and often frustration-prone encounters between medical providers and patients. They will also acquire the conceptual tools and critical thinking skills for reflecting on and understanding the ethical challenges of current medical practice.

Requirements

The minor requires at least 15 credit hours (18 with the addenda requirement), including the requirements listed below.
  1. Introductory course. One (1) course:
    • HPSC-X 125 Critical Medical Humanities: An Introduction
  2. The Human Health Practitioner—Perspectives in Medical Humanities. Nine (9) credit hours:
    1. Cultural Expressions of Diversity. One (1) course:
      • AAAD-A 150 Survey of the Culture of Black Americans
      • AAAD-A 169 Introduction to African American Literature
      • AAST-A 200 Asian American Literature
      • CMLT-C 262 Cross-Cultural Encounters
      • CMLT-C 313 Narrative
      • ENG-L 207 Women and Literature
      • ENG-L 223 Introduction to Ethnic American Literature
      • ENG-L 240 Literature and Public Life
      • ENG-L 249 Representations of Gender and Sexuality
      • ENG-L 389 Feminist Literary and Cultural Criticism
      • ENG-L 396 Studies in African American Literature and Culture
      • LATS-L 104 Latinas in the United States
      • PHIL-P 332 Feminism and Value
      • REL-D 399
    2. Culture, Health & Society. One (1) course:
      • HPSC-X 104 Science and Culture
      • HPSC-X 235 From Sick Care to Health Care
      • HPSC-X 245 The Senses: Body, Brain, Environment
      • ANTH-B 260 Biocultural Medical Anthropology
      • ANTH-E 260 Culture, Health, and Illness
      • ANTH-E 445 Seminar in Medical Anthropology
      • ECON-E 344 Health Economics
      • FOLK-F 215 Folklore, Health, and Illness
      • PSY-P 303 Health Psychology
      • REL-D 430 Problems in Social Ethics
      • SOC-S 324 Sociology of Mental Illness
      • SOC-S 358 Social Inequalities in Health and Health Care
      • SOC-S 365 Health and Society: Sociology for Health Professionals
    3. Science, Ethics, and Religion. One (1) course:
      • HPSC-X 108 The Science of Sex and Race: Theories of Biological Differentiation, 1776 to the Present
      • HPSC-X 111 Ethical Issues in Biological and Medical Sciences
      • HPSC-X 200 Scientific Reasoning
      • HPSC-X 205 Introduction to Medical History
      • HPSC-X 305 History and Philosophy of Medicine
      • HPSC-X 340 Scientific Methods: How Science Really Works
      • HPSC-X 411 Science and Values
      • CMLT-C 349 Literature and Science
      • PHIL-P 242 Applied Ethics
      • PHIL-P 340 Classics in Ethics
      • PHIL-P 342 Problems of Ethics
      • PHIL-P 371 Philosophy of Religion
      • PHIL-P 393 Biomedical Ethics
      • REL-C 325 Race, Religion, and Ethnicity in the Americas
      • REL-C 402 Religion, Illness, and Healing
      • REL-D 340 Religion and Bioethics
      • REL-D 365 Friendship, Benevolence, and Love
    4. 300–499 Level Requirement. At least six (6) credit hours of The Human Health Practitioner—Perspectives in Medical Humanities courses must be at the 300–499 level.
  3. Human Subjects Research Ethics. Document with the Department of History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine that you have completed the "Human Subjects Research" workshop through the IU Office of Research Compliance.
  4. Service Learning. One (1) course:
    • HPSC-X 470 Service Learning in Medical Humanities
  5. Addenda Requirement*.
    • Oral Communication. One (1) course:
      • ANTH-A 122 Interpersonal Communication
      • COLL-P 155 Public Oral Communication
      • BUS-C 104 BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS
      • BUS-C 106 BUSINESS PRESENTATIONS-HONORS
  6. Minor GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. Minor GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the minor—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    2. Minor Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the minor.
    3. Minor Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    4. Minor Residency. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.

Minor Area Courses

Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:

  • Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
  • Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception

This program of study cannot be combined with the following:

  • Minor in Scientific Skills and Research Integrity (SSRIMIN)
  • [Name unavailable] (CSMACRT)

Exceptions to and substitutions for minor requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.