The Medical Humanities aims to provide medical students with the opportunity to
study medical issues from the point of view of a humanities discipline. To that
end we offer students a choice of courses from a variety of different humanities
specialities. This not only provides students with an alternative perspective on
medicine, it also provides the opportunity to understand how different
disciplines tackle the issue of scholarship. Whereas excellence in science is
dependent on rigorous research methodology, in the humanities the criterion for
excellence is in the critical analysis and development of ideas. Thus the study
of issues relevant to medicine, but embedded in the context of the Humanities
can present an additional and important context, not only for the practice of
medicine, but also for thinking about the nature of medical problems.
History of Medical Humanities in the Medical Programme
The attached
document has Historical notes on the introduction of Medical Humanities at the
University of Auckland's School of Medicine.
History(389.7KB PDF)
Aims of the Medical Humanities Programme
- To foster reflection and deliberation on issues of suffering, loss, grief, life
and death.
- To gain insight into the experience of illness, disease, and injury.
- To develop critical thinking in order to enhance the practice of doctors.
- To encourage effective communication within science and medicine.
Course structure
MBChB 311A, Medical Humanities, is composed of a variety of "special
topics". The number on offer varies from year to year, but each year,
students are asked to select three topics in which they would like to
participate. These are listed below.
For more information please contact:
