Family, Community & Preventive Medicine

Division of Medical Humanities

Medical Humanities Scholar Requirements

 

The Division of Medical Humanities offers medical students the opportunity to enrich their medical education by study and involvement in the humanities through participation in Humanities Elective courses, Humanities Grand Rounds, Humanities Special Events, and Directed Research activities. These offerings are open to all interested students.  Each year medical students who participate in Humanities courses and activities qualify for the special designation of Humanities Scholar, which is noted on the permanent transcript and at graduation, as well as by receipt of a Humanities Scholar certificate issued by the Division of Medical Humanities.

 

 

To receive the Humanities Scholar Award students must:

·        complete three (3) Humanities Elective Courses, and

·        attend six (6) Humanities Grand Rounds or Humanities Special Events and submit a journal entry for each, and

·        attend or view the lecture entitled “Writing for Publication” and complete a journal entry describing the session’s key points, and

·        submit a written proposal (1 to 2 paragraphs) describing the topic the paper will address and possible venues for publication, and

·        Complete an independent study project, which is often a paper, with references, approximately 10 pages in length. 

 

 

Humanities Scholars may choose from two completion options:

1. Complete all requirements by August 1 of the senior year.  Students completing their requirements by this time will receive a certificate of achievement, have their accomplishment mentioned in their Dean’s letter, and have a notation in their medical school record.

 

2. Complete all requirements by March 15 of the senior year.  Students who complete their requirements by this time will receive a certificate of achievement and a notation in their medical school record, but will not be finished in time for mention in the Dean’s letter.

 

Students who are considering becoming Humanities Scholars should discuss their plans with Florence Gelo, D.Min., NCPsyA, Director of the Humanities Scholars Program, at Florence.Gelo@drexelmed.edu or at 215-991-8464.

 

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Additional Information About Requirements

1. Complete at least three Humanities Elective Courses: Course credit is awarded for satisfactory completion of three different Humanities Elective courses which are offered at the 2900 Queen Lane campus during the academic year. No course may be taken for credit more than once. Students must sign in at each class session and meet all other individual course requirements in order to receive course credit.  Course credit appears on each student’s medical school transcript.

 

2. Attend at least six Humanities Grand Rounds or Humanities Special Events: Humanities Grand Rounds presentations are offered at the Queen Lane Campus. Humanities Special Events take advantage of Philadelphia’s unique medical community and include walking tours, museum visits, etc.  Students must attend the actual, live lecture or event to get credit for at least 4 Humanities Grand Rounds. The remaining 2 Grand Rounds can be viewed online or on DVD.  Students document attendance or viewing DVDs by keeping a journal in which they briefly record their impressions and reactions to each Humanities Grand Rounds or Special Event (about ½ page, or 2 paragraphs).  Journal entries must clearly specify date, speaker, and topic of presentation. Contact the Division of Medical Humanities at 215-991-8464 to inquire whether an outside activity can be approved for Humanities Grand Rounds/Humanities Special Event credit.

 

Students retain their journals until Humanities course and Grand Rounds/Special Events requirements are completed, at which time each student presents his/her journal entries, along with a current medical school transcript indicating completion of three elective courses, to the Director of the Humanities Scholars Program to document completion of primary requirements for Humanities Scholars Certificate.

 

3. Attend a “Writing for Publication” lecture: Students must attend, or view online, a lecture that addresses the basic aspects of writing a publishable paper on a humanities topic and complete a journal entry describing key points from the session.

 

4. Submit a written proposal: Students must submit a one to two paragraph written proposal and obtain approval of the topic for the independent study project.  General areas of inquiry include ethics, literature, history, philosophy, art, cultural studies, law, religion and spirituality, and music as they relate to medicine.  The proposal should also list two or three peer-reviewed journals or Internet venues for publication. 

 

5. Complete a humanities paper or project: Students wishing to pursue the Humanities Scholar Certificate must complete primary requirements and then meet with the Director of the Humanities Scholars Program to discuss the project.  Students work with a faculty advisor who has expertise in the chosen area of inquiry.  To receive credit, students must complete an acceptable research paper of at least ten pages in length, with references, or a substantial project, that has been approved by the Director of the Humanities Scholars Program.

 

Fourth Year Elective / Humanities Directed Research: The independent study project may be carried out through a fourth-year Humanities Directed Research rotation of 4 weeks if a faculty preceptor can be arranged.  If this option is selected, all arrangements must be made through the Drexel College of Medicine clerkship office at least two months prior to the desired start date.  Students must write a publishable-quality research paper, at least fifteen pages in length, and be prepared to submit the paper for publication at the end of the elective.  Students must also complete any other requirements for the rotation

**Note:  This rotation is full-time and requires requiring dedicated research and frequent on-site meetings between student and preceptor.  It cannot be completed as an “away” rotation.  Humanities Directed Research rotations must be pre-approved by the faculty preceptor, the Director of the Humanities Scholars Program, and the clerkship office.