Overview
The Health Humanities Certificate of Distinction is a four-year longitudinal program that prepares future physicians to develop clinical competencies informed by the health humanities into compassionate and person-centered clinical practice, research and leadership. Grounded in the disciplines of narrative medicine, bioethics, medical humanism, history of medicine, literature, visual and performing arts, and reflective practice, the program cultivates the skills and perspectives needed to provide exceptional, whole-person care.
The certificate recognizes that excellent physicians are not only scientifically proficient but also compassionate advocates and exceptional communicators with a deep understanding of the human condition. Through seminars, creative expression and reflective writing, community engagement, scholarly inquiry, and experiential learning, students develop the capacity to understand and create space for patients' stories, appreciate diverse lived experiences, and navigate the complexities of illness with empathy and humility. Students receive coaching and mentorship as they build a network of collaborators and community partners. They engage in humanities-focused scholarly work, and explore innovative approaches to healing that bridge medicine and the humanities.
Graduates of the Health Humanities Certificate of Distinction emerge with a deeper understanding of the human experience of health, illness and suffering. They are equipped to lead with compassion, creativity, purpose and vision in an increasingly complex healthcare environment.
Goals
- Contribute to the College of Medicine’s core values of innovation in education, patient care, community outreach, research and servant leadership through development of humanistic competencies.
- Develop a comfortable, authentic and genuine presence with patients.
- Understand and engage in a covenant relationship with patients by being accountable and being present when present.
- Sharpen medical students' skills in observation, description, reflection and communication to improve clinical care and relationships between physicians, patients, families and health care teams.
- Explore and critically evaluate the range of human emotion and diversities in perception of the world as conveyed visually and figuratively.
- Develop narrative competence through the ability to invite, reflect and act on patient values and stories.
- Prepare medical students to practice wellness, self-care, reflection and resilience in preparation for future practice.