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Biomedical Humanities

Colleen Fried (1993), Coordinator; Co-Director, Center for Literature, Medicine and Biomedical Humanities; Professor of Chemistry

B.A., Carleton College;
Ph.D., Iowa State University

Academic Interest: synthetic organic chemistry. http://home.hiram.edu/www/chemistry/colleen'spersonal.htm

Carol Donley (1974), Herbert L. and Pauline Wentz Andrews Professor of Biomedical Humanities, Emerita Professor of English

B.A., Hiram College;

M.A., Case Western Reserve University
M.A., Ph.D., Kent State University;           

Academic Iinterest: literature and medicine

Sandra I. Madar (1994), Coordinator; Co-Director, Center for Literature, Medicine and Biomedical Humanities; Associate Professor of Biology         

B.S. University of Michigan;          

Ph.D. Kent State University & Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine          Academic Interest: mammalian paleontology & human evolutionary biology.

Lynne Underwood (2006), Professor of Biomedical Humanities

B.S. University of Iowa;

M.D. program: University of Iowa School of Medicine;

Ph.D. Queen’s University School of Medicine, Belfast, N. Ireland

Department web address:  http://home.hiram.edu/biomed/biomedical.htm 

Technological advances change the face of health care at a seemingly exponential rate resulting in increasing debate concerning how medicine is practiced, opening exciting new areas of study and careers in medicine, and reforming the training of future physicians. Experts in humanities and social sciences are increasingly interested in issues related to health care, and new careers are opening up in fields as diverse as medical ethics, health care law, and medical journalism. At the same time, medical schools are looking for students with greater exposure to the liberal arts. Hiram’s Biomedical Humanities program supports the College’s mission to develop students who are “intellectually alive, socially responsible, ethical citizens.” This is a goal-oriented curriculum designed to help students develop skills required in a variety of careers in health care. It includes a science core necessary for understanding human biology and introduces students to issues relating to ethics, diversity, and community service. Taken together, these areas of study form the basis of an emerging field of study. It will serve students interested in deciding the future of health care as well as those students interested in becoming practicing physicians.  All BIMD majors and minors must choose an advisor in the program.

Requirements for the Major

I. Science Core: The Science Core will provide a strong background for those students interested in pursuing careers in medical ethics, genetic counseling, medical journalism, health care law, and administration and will prepare students for entrance to medical school.  The required courses are Biology 151, 152, 230, 365Chemistry 120121, 220, 320 Math 108. Students intent on going to medical school also will need to take Physics 113/114 or Physics 213/214 and are strongly encouraged to take Biology 366. Some schools will also require an additional course in college math

II. Experiential Learning Core: Service Seminars (must register for BIMD 610, and may register for 611, 1 hour each), Academic Seminars (must register for two, 1 hour seminars), Clinical Internship (may register for 3 or 4 hours), Research Internship (may register for 3 or 4 hours), Senior Seminar (must register for 1 hour BIMD 480)** Students are required to keep a journal including entries from all of their experiential learning activities.  See description of Senior Seminar below. Service Seminars:  All students are required to participate in two service seminars, in which students are engaged in volunteer work in a clinic, social service program, hospice, nursing home, hospital, or other approved setting.  The goal of the seminars is to expose students to clinical settings and diverse human demographics.  Students are required to engag in academic assessment of their activity through readings and discussions with faculty and/or medical care providers, as well as journaling of their experiences. Each service seminar  requires 30 hours of volunteer experience. Students may elect to do a single intensive service project rather than two placements, but only with approval of the BIMD faculty. For example, students could become involved in teaching basic medicine (family planning, hygiene, and nutrition) in under-served areas abroad or at home.  Students must enroll in BIMD 610.  Service in a Health Care setting, a course  designed to help students become more reflective of  experience obtained in externships.  The other service seminar can be fulfilled through BIMD 611, PSYC 6xx, or through a non-credit option. Academic Seminars: Each student must enroll in two academic seminars, which focus on special topics relevant to the study or practice of medicine.  These are offered each semester as BIMD 280.  Clinical Internship: Students are required to ‘shadow’in a clinical setting for a minimum of 120 hours.  The intention is for students to interact significantly with practitioners in their field of interest in health care, in order to solidify career goals during a critical time in their academic careers.  Students may opt to divide this experience into opportunities with more than one type of practitioner.  All students should consult with their Biomedical Humanities advisor concerning internship placements, and provide their advisor with certification letters from their clinical mentors. Research Internship:  The purpose of this internship is to provide students with ‘hands on’ experience in research settings that might impact the future of health care.  Students benefit from experiencing the methodologies involved in basic science, in addition to its application in a clinical setting.  Students are required to participate in research for a minimum of 120 hours in a setting approved by their Biomedical Humanities advisor, and provide the advisor with certification letters from their research mentors.  Senior Seminar:  Students are required to turn in the journal ‘portfolio’ of their experiential learning.  Students will also give a public presentation covering key experiences in the clinical, research, and service settings.  

The remaining four areas are communication skills, relationships and cultural sensitivity, ethics, and an area of specialization.  There is a great deal of flexibility in how students can meet these requirements, and a list of current courses fulfilling the areas can be found on the departmental web site at http://home.hiram.edu/biomed/biomedical.htm

III. Communication Skills (Two courses): It is imperative that physicians learn how to effectively communicate with patients and colleagues. Both verbal and non-verbal communications occur between a physician and patient. Proper diagnosis and treatment depend upon strong perception and these communication skills. Students must take two courses in this area.  (Example:  COMM 220: Interpersonal Communications, THEA 120: Fundamental Principles of Acting)

IV. Relationships and Cultural Sensitivity (One human relationships course, one human diversity course): Health care professionals need to develop a sense of empathy for the communities they serve. Such communities include a wide diversity of individuals differing with respect to age, ethnicity, religious beliefs, and socioeconomic standing. Courses included in this portion of the major will allow students to examine how humans develop socially and/or psychologically, and to experience and appreciate diversity. Students must select one course that deals with human relationships and a second course that deals with human diversity. (Example:  PSYCH 101:  Intro to Psychology, ENGL 448: Major American Writers:  Black Male Writers)

V. Ethics (One discipline based ethics course, two medical humanities courses): The practice of modern medicine is laden with ethical challenges. Balancing patient needs and rising medical costs, patient right-to-die issues, genetic screening, fetal tissue experimentation, and animal use in research are just a few examples. This component to the major is designed to introduce the students to the often-difficult distinction between right and wrong and to help them develop the tools necessary to make informed decisions, and to help their patients to do the same.  Students must take one discipline-based course and two interdisciplinary courses in this area  (Example: RELG 280: Christian Social Ethics, INTD 360: Topics in Lit. & Med.:  Literature & Aging, INTD 389: Alternative Health Care Systems)

VI. Area of Specialization (Three upper level courses in any college discipline): In appreciation of the liberal arts tradition that will provide students with an education in the “depth, breadth and inter-relatedness of knowledge” we require students to choose an area of specialization consisting of three upper-level courses in traditional liberal arts major. The area of specialization and the appropriate courses must be chosen in consultation with a member of the Health Sciences Board.

Requirements for the Minor

Because humanities issues in health care are of great concern across many disciplines today, and because many of our students envision themselves serving in the health care professions in the future, we offer a minor in health care humanities. This minor, composed of interdisciplinary and departmental courses, emphasizes the ethical, religious, social, economic, and other non-technological issues in health care, and it addresses the complexities of solving health care problems. For students considering going on to careers in medicine, medical technology and research, nursing, counseling, social work, ministry, etc., this minor infuses humanities perspectives and concerns into the training they are getting in sciences and social sciences. It also complements traditional majors in the humanities.

The minor consists of a minimum 20 semester hours of courses chosen from the following:

I. At least two Interdisciplinary courses in biomedical humanities:

Interdisciplinary 360: Topics in Literature and Medicine: Literature and Aging Interdisciplinary 361: Topics in Literature and Medicine: What’s Normal? Interdisciplinary 362: Topics in Literature and Medicine: The Ethics and Literature of Caring Interdisciplinary 307: Disease and History Interdisciplinary 309: Science, Values, and Technology Interdisciplinary 302: Narrative Bioethics Interdisciplinary 370: Uses and Abuses of Power in Health Care Interdisciplinary 372: Literary Anatomies: Women’s Bodies and Health in Literature Other biomedical humanities courses approved by your biomedical humanities advisor 

II. At least three other courses chosen either from Category I. above, or from the following list:

Biology/Psychology 215: Experimental Methods

Biology 131/132 Human Anatomy & Physiology I and IIor Chemistry 101: Chemistry in Context

Chemistry 161:  Physiological Chemistry

Communication 280: Health Care Communications

Management 280: Legal Ethics

Philosophy 219: Medical Ethics

Psychology 250: Development Across the Life Span

Psychology 361: Introduction to Counseling and Clinical Psychology

Religious Studies 215: Death and Dying

III.  Service Learning Experience: BIMD minors must also participate in one externship including a minimum of 30 contact hours in a health care setting.

BIMD 610:  Service in a Health Care Setting

PSYC 610: Working with Severely Handicapped Children

PSYC 612: Incapacitated Older People in a Residential Setting

IV. Senior Seminar: Students completing the minor will participate in BIMD 480, senior seminar (description above).

Departmental Offerings

280 Seminar                                                                                     1-4 hours An introduction to selected topics of current interest in various health fields.

281 Independent Study                                                                    1-4 hours

298 Field Experience                                                                       1-4 hours

380 Seminar                                                                                     1-4 hours

Selected topics of current interest in various health fields.

381 Topics                                                                                        1-4 hours

Selected topics of current interest in various health fields.

481 Independent Research                                                              1-4 hours

480 Senior Seminar                                                                               1 hour

Students present an analysis of their experiential learning activities to faculty and students.     

498 Internship                                                                                  1-4 hours

610 Service in a Health Care Setting                                                    1 hour

Students enrolled in this course are required to volunteer in a health care setting for a minimum of 30 hours, keep a journal of their volunteer experience, and to participate in a weekly class session. Topics covered during the in-class portion will include tips on keeping a reflective journal, working with issues of power inequity in a volunteer situation, dealing with challenges that occur at the volunteer site, and options for other volunteer opportunities.  This course will be offered on a pass/no credit basis only.

611 Service in a Health Care Setting II                                                1 hour

This course is a continuation of Biomedical Humanities 610. This course will be offered on a pass/no credit basis only.

Plan of Study for Accelerated Biomedical Humanities Majors:

Curriculum for an Accelerated Biomedical Humanities program*

*This program assumes that students are entering Hiram without any AP or post-secondary credit.  While there is little flexibility in the science courses if students wish to attend medical school immediately following their time at Hiram, the Core, Concentration, and Elective courses can be interchanged.  If students don’t wish to attend medical school immediately after Hiram, the science courses can also be shifted in the schedule.

**Students have completed the coursework necessary for the MCAT at this point.  Those interested in attending medical school immediately after Hiram will be taking the MCAT between the 12-week and 3-week session. The biomedical humanities program requires students to complete course work in communication skills, human relationships and diversity, and medical humanities and ethics. These courses also fulfill the college’s core requirements in the liberal arts. Students in the biomedical humanities major are required to choose an area of concentration, which consists of three upper-level classes in a single area.

Additional Information