Literature and Medicine

Catalog description

What does storytelling have to do with medicine? Turns out, a lot. Every patient has a story, and the skill of reading for pattern, symptom, and causality lies at the heart of the medical arts. This course examines a wide range of texts about illness, disability, diagnosis, and healing. It is designed for pre-health majors and all students seeking a deeper engagement with medical ethics, history, and storytelling. Through reading, writing, and discussion, students will investigate the different perspectives and belief systems that come into play in medical contexts, addressing issues of medical authority, end of life, the role of genre and technology in healthcare, and the social and cultural dimensions of illness and medicine. IIB, IC. PA-3B, PA-4B, SI-05. CAS-B-LIT.