Perspectives on Medical Humanities

Data

Official data in SubjectManager for the following academic year: 2024-2025

Topic

The new course of "Perspectives on Medical Humanities" aims to promote creative thinking and new perspectives on the interactions between biomedical sciences and humanities using an interdisciplinary model. It intends to introduce the humanities (philosophy, ethics, history, literature, law and religion), social science (psychology, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, health geography), arts (literature, theater, film, visual arts) in a biomedical context. It will provide, whenever necessary, humanities and social science skills and will introduce the participants to a range of creative approaches. The course in mainly designed for biomedical students who are interested in expanding their understanding of the medical world. The classes will be delivered by members of the Institute of Transdisciplinary Discoveries (ITD) and lecturers (domestic and international) from other academic disciplines.

Aims of the course are to:

- Provide an introduction to the main issues and themes in medical humanities, the study of medicine and healthcare using analytical methods drawn from across the humanities and social sciences, and creative exploration of these issues.

- Provide opportunities to study and creatively engage with particular topics of historical and contemporary significance in depth.

- Encourage and support the development of analytical and creative skills in understanding the changing forms and functions of medicine and healthcare in society.

- Encourage and support the development of transferable writing and presentation skills of the highest standard, and thereby prepare students for further academic study or employment.

- Provide an introduction to humanities and social science research methods, including use of libraries, archives, databases, and oral history, qualitative thematic analysis and ethnography.

- Prepare students for the completion of a major piece of individual research and writing in the form of a dissertation or a portfolio of creative work with scholarly commentary.

Lectures

• 1. Introduction to the Course: What is Humanities and how it applies in Medicine? Emil Crisan Toescu, Dr. Jankovits László, Deák Máté - Toescu Emil Crisan
• 2. Introduction to the Course: What is Humanities and how it applies in Medicine? Emil Crisan Toescu, Dr. Jankovits László, Deák Máté - Toescu Emil Crisan
• 3. When it all begun: Greek, Roman, Arabic and the Human Values; Dr. Jankovits László, Deák Máté - Jankovits László
• 4. When it all begun: Greek, Roman, Arabic and the Human Values; Dr. Jankovits László, Deák Máté - Jankovits László
• 5. Theatre, Literature and Arts in Medicine: from Ancient to Modern; Dr. Jankovits László - Jankovits László
• 6. Theatre, Literature and Arts in Medicine: from Ancient to Modern; Dr. Jankovits László - Jankovits László
• 7. Medicine in the 18th Century and the birth of the Clinic; Dr. Molnár F. Tamás, Bagi Dániel - Molnár F. Tamás
• 8. Medicine in the 18th Century and the birth of the Clinic; Dr. Molnár F. Tamás, Bagi Dániel - Molnár F. Tamás
• 9. Birth of Modern Medicine - from Cells to Germs; Emil Crisan Toescu - Toescu Emil Crisan
• 10. Birth of Modern Medicine - from Cells to Germs; Emil Crisan Toescu - Toescu Emil Crisan
• 11. The Medical Model and the medicalization of the society; Emil Crisan Toescu, Dr. Sik Attila Gábor - Toescu Emil Crisan
• 12. The Medical Model and the medicalization of the society; Emil Crisan Toescu, Dr. Sik Attila Gábor - Sik Attila Gábor
• 13. The Poetry of Evolution: Human Biology and Medicine in Modern Poetry; John Holmes - Sik Attila Gábor
• 14. The Poetry of Evolution: Human Biology and Medicine in Modern Poetry; John Holmes - Sik Attila Gábor
• 15. The danger of Scientism: neuromania as an example; Emil Crisan Toescu, Dr. Sik Attila Gábor - Toescu Emil Crisan
• 16. The danger of Scientism: neuromania as an example; Emil Crisan Toescu, Dr. Sik Attila Gábor - Sik Attila Gábor
• 17. Legal Questions in Medicine (AI, Intellectual Property); Dr. Zeller Judit, Liber Noémi - Zeller Judit
• 18. Legal Questions in Medicine (AI, Intellectual Property); Dr. Zeller Judit, Liber Noémi - Zeller Judit
• 19. Decision or Predestination? Ethics of Abortion and Euthanasia; Dr. Zeller Judit - Zeller Judit
• 20. Decision or Predestination? Ethics of Abortion and Euthanasia; Dr. Zeller Judit - Zeller Judit
• 21. The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, Drones and Robots in Medicine; Dr. Várady Géza György - Várady Géza György
• 22. Clinician-patient communication to Enhance Health Outcomes; Dr. Csikós Ágnes Erika - Csikós Ágnes Erika
• 23. What is value in healthcare? Dr. Zemplényi Antal Tamás - Zemplényi Antal Tamás
• 24. Exit to Eternity? Life and Death in Assisted Living; Dr. Füzér Katalin Judit, Dr. Zeller Judit - Füzér Katalin Judit

Practices

Seminars

Reading material

Obligatory literature

1. Duffin, Jacalyn (ed): Clio in the Clinic. History in Medical Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005

2. Duffin, Jacalyn: History of Medicine. A Scandalously short introduction. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1999

3. Gevitz, Norman: The DOs (2nd ed). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004

4. Magner, Lois: A History of Medicine (2nd ed). New York: Informa Healthcare, 2007

5. Porter, Roy: The Greatest Benefit to Mankind. A medical history of humanity. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997

Literature developed by the Department

Lecture materials by the teachers and their publications on this topic

Notes

none

Recommended literature

1. Coles, Robert & Testa, Randy (eds): A Life in Medicine. A literary anthology. New York: The New Press, 2002

2. Downie, RS (ed): The Healing Arts. An Oxford Illustrated Anthology. Oxford (UK): Oxford University Press, 1995

3. Gordon, Richard (ed): The Literary Companion to Medicine. London: Sinclair-Stevenson, 1993 Reynold, Richard & Stone, John (eds): On Doctoring. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001

Conditions for acceptance of the semester

Mid-term exams

No mid-semester tests

Making up for missed classes

After 3 missed classes the semester signature is automatically denied, there is no possibility to make up for the missed classes.

Exam topics/questions

A submitted 2500-word long essay (the student will have the choice of one title out of an offer of 3-5 titles proposed, and the essay will be written, in English, by the student over a period of two weeks, and submitted for marking by academic staff). For example: Theater and medicine in the early modern ages, Healthcare for everyone or privilege of the rich?

Examiners

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars