Health and Human Experience Minor

Health and Human Experience is an interdisciplinary humanities and social sciences minor that prepares you to understand cultural factors in health and delivery of care. This medical humanities minor can enrich your pre-health studies in natural sciences or work as a meaningful unit own its own, relevant to all who are interested in topics such as history of medicine, bioethics, and global health. The minor allows you to explore how personal values, feelings of belonging, beliefs, and social forces impact health. You will build analytical reasoning skills and empathy necessary to engage with individuals of varied backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. You will reflect deeply on issues of medical ethics, healthcare, and social justice. You will explore written and spoken ways to convey complex truths clearly and compassionately. You also will be invited to consider the environment and responses to nature as an integral part of the experience of health in history and in current times. Depending on the courses that you select, you will be introduced to concepts such as narrative medicine, culturally competent care, inclusion and equity in healthcare, and social determinants of health. The minor will offer opportunities for you to learn how to approach medical issues holistically and with humanity, recognizing that health is one of the foundational ways to understand what it means to be human.

Minor Requirements

You will take one humanities or social sciences health foundations course, one ethics course, and four electives that introduce you to various exciting topics related to social and cultural aspects of health and healthcare. These electives come from social sciences and humanities, with an emphasis that allows you to lean in a synthetizing and reflective ways. Please consult your catalogue year’s specific requirements for this minor.

See catalogue for all courses and clarifications

Elective Courses

Below are just a few of the fascinating electives that you may take for your health and human experience minor. You have many choices! See a full list of approved electives in the academic catalogue.

See catalogue for the full list of electives

Contact Us

Minor director: Kathleen Forni, Ph.D., Professor, Department of English 
Office: Humanities 242-E 
Email: kforni@loyola.edu  
Telephone: 410-617-2816

Advisory Board

• Joseph Farrell, Ph.D., Assistant Teaching Professor, Philosophy
• Peggy O'Neill, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Writing
• Maiju Lehmijoki Wetzel, Ph.D., Director of Pre-Health Programs and Affiliate Assistant Professor of Theology