Medicine and the Liberal Arts
Medicine and the Liberal Arts
Medicine and the liberal arts provides students with a broad humanistic viewpoint of the medical situations that present themselves over the course of life. Students will gain a fuller understanding of the art of healing and relating to patients than can be obtained solely through the required course of study in the sciences. The relevance of such a program extends past pre-med students to students of various majors, whether planning careers that will deal explicitly with medical issues (for example, government, ministry and healthcare administration) to gain a fuller understanding of the ethical, religious and social implications of medical questions that face us all.
Meet Dr. Christine Dinkins
Dr. Christine Sorrell Dinkins, Kenan Professor of Philosophy, is co-coordinator of the program. She earned her Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University. She teaches courses such as Philosophy in Practice, Ancient Philosophy and Philosophy of Medicine. She is co-editor of the book “Listening to the Whispers: Re-thinking Ethics in Healthcare,” and her current scholarship focuses on empathy and ethics in nursing education.
Meet Dr. Anne Rodrick
Dr. Anne Rodrick, Reeves Family Professor of History, is co-coordinator of the program. She also coordinates the college’s 19th Century Studies Program. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. History of science is one of her research interests.
WOFFORD STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE A MINIMUM OF 15 HOURS OF APPROVED COURSES AND MLA 475
List of approved courses (four are required, coming from at least three different departments):
ANTH 312: Medical Anthropology
ANTH 412: Global Health
BIO 303: Introduction to Public Health
ECON 340: Economics of Medical Care
ENVS 341: Health and the Environment
GOV 345: Health Care Policy and Administration
HIST 387: History of Medicine
MLA 470: Independent Study in Medicine and the Liberal Arts (course must be approved in advance by program coordinators)
PHIL 210: Biomedical Ethics
PHIL 340: Philosophy of Medicine
PSY 270: Health Psychology
REL 264: Religion and Medicine
REL 332: Spirituality and Traditional Chinese Medicine
OR: Other courses approved by the program coordinators, including classes completed abroad.
Students interested in pursuing a medical or health care internship as part of the program should consult with the coordinators well in advance to secure approval.