Narratives of Medicine, Health, and Healing: The Adult and Pediatric Experience

Details

INSTRUCTOR: Amilcar Castellano Sanchez

SECTION: U17

SCHEDULE: Tuesday, 1:00PM – 3:30PM

Course Description

This course aims to bring forth the unbreakable — yet not well-valued and sparsely characterized — connection between the worlds of text (narrative, poetry, short stories, memoirs, interviews, and film adaptations) to the worlds of medical ailments and medical practice. The course will encourage the reading and interpretation of different literary media coupled with a mirror representation of the disease (s) being discussed throughout the semester. The ultimate goal of the course is to explore fully the connection between health and well-being and the power of texts of all kind. Further impact of the recognition and valorization of this prominent literary and medical bond will manifest as participants contribute to knowledge via their participation in adding well-researched content to Wikipedia pages of their choice. Sessions will include active participation between students and faculty, Socratic seminar lead-discussions, written reflections, and review of peer review articles on the subject matter.

Students will learn to:

  • Identify the role of medical literature dealing with certain diseases, recovery or complications in different medical scenarios through human history and diverse cultures by analyzing texts.
  • Analyze and interpret global and intercultural issues.
  • Explain and link scientific and practical means of the times with their theoretical and cultural background using different forms of literature in non-scientific formats linking the concepts of health, disease, recovery, convalescence and health-care through human kind.
  • Critically read and interpret non peer-reviewed material in the topics of medicine, health and healing.
  • Develop their interest and skills in communication, research, analysis, synthesis and organization of reflective and descriptive texts.
  • Be able to apply their knowledge from previous and current courses to construct reflective and objective comments based on given problems that call for scientific reasoning
  • Have developed skills to work collaboratively and in an interdisciplinary manner.
  • Develop an awareness of humanistic and distinct set of professional skills required for success as a medical student and emerging doctor.