19. Medical humanities
Graduate Certificate in Medical Humanities
(GradCertMedHum) KG013
Graduate Diploma in Medical Humanities
(GradDipMedHum) KF050
Master of Medical Humanities
(MMedHum) KC070
Overview
The medical humanities program explores the human side of medicine. It aims to overcome the separation of clinical care from the human experience of illness through the use of concepts and analytic tools from various arts and social science disciplines. The medical humanities provide insight into the human condition – for example suffering, personhood and our responsibility to each other – and offer an historical perspective on medical practice.
Knowledge of literature and the arts helps to develop and nurture skills of observation, analysis, empathy, and self-reflection – skills that are essential for humane medical care. The social sciences help us to understand how bioscience and medicine take place within cultural and social contexts and how culture interacts with the individual experience of illness and the way medicine is practiced.
Admission
Admission normally requires a bachelor's degree from the University of Sydney or another recognised institution.
Structure
The graduate certificate and graduate diploma are embedded in the master’s degree (see embedded degrees explanation in chapter 8).
At least 75 per cent of the credit points needed for award (eg at least 18 credit points for graduate certificate, 30 credit points for the graduate diploma and 36 credit points for the master’s degree), must be completed from MMHU units of study unless insufficient units are available or the course coordinator gives written permission.
| Course | Credit points for award | Duration full-time | Duration part-time |
|---|---|---|---|
| GradCertMedHum | 24 | 0.5 to 1 years | 2 to 4 years |
| GradDipMedHum | 36 | 1 to 2 years | 1.5 to 3 years |
| MMedHum | 48 | 1 to 2 years | 2 to 4 years |
The graduate certificate comprises one core unit of study and a further 18 credit points of electives chosen from the lists of electives (see unit of study tables below and chapter 31 for unit of study details).
The graduate diploma comprises one core unit of study and a further 30 credit points of electives chosen from the lists of electives (see unit of study tables below and chapter 31 for unit of study details).
The master’s degree comprises one core unit of study and a further 42 credit points of electives chosen from the lists of electives (see unit of study tables below and chapter 31 for unit of study details).
Medical humanities core units of study
| Unit of study | Credit points | A: Assumed knowledge P: Prerequisites C: Corequisites N: Prohibition | Session |
|---|---|---|---|
| MMHU6903 Key Concepts in Medical Humanities This unit of study is not available in2010 |
6 | Semester 1 |
Medical humanities MMHU elective units of study
| Unit of study | Credit points | A: Assumed knowledge P: Prerequisites C: Corequisites N: Prohibition | Session |
|---|---|---|---|
| MMHU6901 Medicine and War |
6 | Semester 1 |
|
| MMHU6902 Independent Study |
6 | Semester 1 Semester 2 |
|
| MMHU6910 Narrative, Literature and Medicine |
6 | P Departmental permission required Note: Department permission required for enrolment Students request permission from the unit of study coordinator to enrol in this unit. The coordinator emails the Postgraduate Student Administration Unit advice that the student has permission to enrol. |
Semester 1 |
| MMHU6911 Spirituality, Medicine and Health Care |
2 | P Departmental permission required Note: Department permission required for enrolment Students request permission from the unit of study coordinator to enrol in this unit. The coordinator emails the Postgraduate Student Administration Unit advice that the student has permission to enrol. |
Semester 2 |
| BETH5000 Core Concepts in Bioethics |
6 | A A three-year undergraduate degree in science, medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, history, or other relevant field, or by special permission. A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year. |
Semester 1 |
| BETH5101 Introduction to Ethical Reasoning |
6 | A A three-year undergraduate degree in science, medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, history, or other relevant field, or by special permission. A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year. |
Semester 1 |
| BETH5102 Philosophy of Medicine |
6 | A A three-year degree in science, medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, history, or other relevant field - or by special permission. A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year. |
Semester 1 |
| BETH5103 Biomedicine and Society |
6 | A A three-year undergraduate degree in science, medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, history, or other relevant field, or by special permission. A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year. |
Semester 2 |
| BETH5104 Bioethics, Law and Society |
6 | A A three-year undergraduate degree in science, medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, history, or other relevant field, or by special permission |
Semester 1 |
| BETH5201 Ethics and Biotech: Genes and Stem Cells |
6 | A A three-year undergraduate degree in science, medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, history, or other relevant field, or by special permission. A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year. |
Semester 2 |
| BETH5202 Human and Animal Research Ethics |
6 | A A three-year undergraduate degree in science, medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, history, or other relevant field, or by special permission. A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year. |
Semester 2 |
| BETH5203 Ethics and Public Health |
6 | A A three-year undergraduate degree in science, medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, history, or other relevant field, or by special permission. A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year. |
Semester 2 |
| BETH5204 Clinical Ethics |
6 | A Honours or equivalent degree, or other appropriate terminal undergraduate degree (such as a three-year nursing degree) in science, medicine, nursing, allied health sciences, philosophy/ethics, sociology/anthropology, history, or other relevant field-or by special permission. A limited number of students may be granted permission to take this unit during their honours year. |
Semester 1 |
| BETH5205 Ethics and Mental Health |
6 | Semester 2 |
|
| MMHU6901 Medicine and War is only offered in even years. | |||
| MMHU6905 Medicine and Music and MMHU6906 Bodies on Display:Medicine, Museums, Art are only offered in odd years. | |||
| Students considering taking MMHU6911 Spirituality, Medicine and Health Care should be aware that other two credit point, intensive style units of study in subjects like dignity and reflective practice will be available in 2011. | |||
| Students in the graduate certificate must choose at least three units of study from this list. | |||
| Students in the graduate diploma must choose at least five units of study from this list. | |||
| Students in the master’s degree must choose at least six units of study from this list. | |||
Medical humanities non-MMHU elective units of study
| Unit of study | Credit points | A: Assumed knowledge P: Prerequisites C: Corequisites N: Prohibition | Session |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCWK6944 Death, Dying and Mourning |
6 | Semester 1 |
|
| HPSC4102 History of Science |
6 | P Available only to students admitted to HPS Honours, Graduate Diploma in Science (History and Philosophy of Science) and Graduate Certificate in Science (History and Philosophy of Science), or by special permission. Note: Department permission required for enrolment |
Semester 1 Semester 2 |
| HPSC4103 Sociology of Science |
6 | P Available only to students admitted to HPS Honours, Graduate Diploma in Science (History and Philosophy of Science) and Graduate Certificate in Science (History and Philosophy of Science), or by special permission. Note: Department permission required for enrolment |
Semester 2 |
| Electives may also be chosen from other postgraduate coursework programs across the university, with prior permission from the Medical Humanities course coordinator and the unit of study convener. | |||
| Students in the graduate certificate or graduate diploma may choose no more than one from this list or other coursework programs. | |||
| Students in the master's degree may choose no more than two from this list or other coursework programs. | |||
Further enquiries
Dr Claire Hooker
Phone: +61 2 9036 3413
Fax: +61 2 9036 3436
Email:
Website: www.usyd.edu.au/medicalhumanities