About the Pathway
The Medical Humanities Pathway teaches students in an immersive, experiential way how to discover the healing power of creative expression. It will equip students with the skills to become lifelong learners. Over the course of four electives, the pathway exposes students to the fundamental disciplines that compose the medical humanities, including literature, the visual and performing arts, history, and philosophy. Students will develop skills of tolerance for ambiguity, attention, and perspective taking. Students may elect to complete the pathway in three or four years.
Pathway Requirements
- Complete both foundational electives
- Complete MEMED 208: Humanities in the Hospital
- Complete one Clinical Elective
- Complete MEMED-647: Medical Humanities Research
- Complete the Medical Humanities Passport
Foundational Electives
- MEMED-640: Introduction to Medical Humanities, MS1, Term 3
- MEMED 643: Improving Communication through the Medical Humanities, MS2, Term 1
Advanced Non-Clinical Elective
- MEMED-208: Humanities in the Hospital, MS3
Additional Information About MEMED 208:
MEMED 208 is a two-week rotation offered in November, December, March, and April only. It meets Monday through Friday: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Students are required to enroll in a clinical elective concurrently with MEMED 208.
The following electives have been approved for co-enrollment with MEMED 208*:
- MEFAM 201: Addiction Medicine
- MEPED 203: Pediatric Palliative Care
- MEPED 204: Pediatric Rheumatology
- MEMED 200: Emergency Medicine
- MEMED 204: General Medicine Consults and Perioperative Medicine
- MEMED 538A: Infectious Disease - BTH
- MEMED 587: Medicine/ Pediatric Primary Care
- MEMED 636: Inpatient Palliative Care
- MEPSY 206: Intro to Consult Liaison Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- MEPSY 545: Inpatient Psychiatry (Ben Taub Hospital)
- MEPSY 562: Introduction to Psychiatric Care of the Hospitalized Patient
- MEGNT 202: Prenatal Genetics
- MENEU 201: Epilepsy and EEG
- MEOBG 201: Obgyn and HIV
- MERAO 200: Introduction to Radiation Oncology
*Students should contact Dr. Childress if they plan to take clinical electives that are not on this list concurrently with MEMED 208
Capstone
- MEMED-647: Medical Humanities Research, MS3/MS4
Enrichment Activity
- Medical Humanities Passport (12 hours required), MS3/MS4
How To Commit To The Pathway
Students must complete the required Foundational Electives and meet with Pathway Leadership during the MS2 fall term to review the timeline to complete the remaining program requirements and discuss whether their Pathway Capstone Project will be used for their Inquiry Project. After this meeting, students may submit the Medical Pathway Commitment Form available on the Medical Pathways webpage. Commitment forms are due by Dec. 10 of the MS2 year. Students who have completed all foundational requirements and wish to commit to the pathway after the deadline must contact the pathway director for approval. They will need to follow the standard Inquiry Project timeline.
Students who have questions about the Medical Humanities Pathway should contact HEAL-Team@bcm.edu or Andrew.Childress@bcm.edu.