The undergraduate Certificate in Medical Humanities offers OSU students a multi-disciplinary integrated program to study health, medicine and the healing professions. The certificate relies on key courses in medical anthropology, literature and medicine, medical history, and biomedical ethics for its core content foundations; courses from an additional nine different disciplines – biology, ethnic studies, exercise science, philosophy, political science, psychology, public health, religious studies, sociology, and women studies – can fulfill complementary elective courses. In addition, the certificate program provides a team-taught colloquium on “the art of healing” that emphasizes skills in professional identity, reflective writing, cultural competency, and diversity as a complement to the scientific features of the healing professions.

The certificate will prepare students to:

  • empathize with the sufferings of others;
  • reflect critically on medical knowledge and discourse;
  • create new representations of the medical experience;
  • confront moral, psychological, and ethical dilemmas.


Medical Humanities Certificate Requirements

Undergraduate Certificate Declaration Form

Yes, Studying the Humanities Might Make You a Better Doctor


For more information, contact one of the Medical Humanities Advisors listed below:

Dr. Courtney Campbell, Medical Humanities Program Director and Hundere Professor in Religion and Culture in the School of History, Philosophy, & Religion

David Bishop, Head Advisor in the School of History, Philosophy, and Religion