The Intersection of Biology and Health (SNF Paideia Program Course)

Catalog description

This course explores the foundational role of biology in various health professions, including careers as physicians, nurses, physician assistants, health policy experts, basic science research, social scientists, and health entrepreneurs. The course delves into the broader factors influencing health outcomes, such as politics, systemic racism, bias, social determinants of health, the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of underrepresentation in healthcare. Students will engage with a range of materials, including case studies, peer-reviewed articles, current events, medical biographies, and historical and contemporary examples of bias and discrimination. Key discussions include: healthcare as a right or privilege, response to a public health crisis in theory and in practice, and how wealth, home ownership, education, bias, and health outcomes are interconnected to racial injustice. Students will be assessed through writing assignments, quizzes, class participation, and group presentations on educational and opposing viewpoints. No prerequisites are required, and the course encourages collaborative learning to better understand the intersection of biology, health, and society.