Humanities in Medicine: Why it is important

Mar 31, 2021
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You are no stranger to the world of science. Many of us are taking chemistry, biology, biochemistry, and many more. But what about humanities? Does that matter in medicine? Of course it does!

Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture.

“By integrating arts and humanities throughout medical education, trainees and physicians can learn to be better observers and interpreters; and build empathy, communication and teamwork skills, and more.”

-AAMC

Can I major in humanities as a pre-health student?

Of course! Remember that professional schools do not give preference towards students who majored in science. What matters most is that you do well in your pre-requisite courses required for admission.

What can I do?

There are so many different options about what you could do to get involved in the study of human society. These include:

Study Abroad Programs
- Many different college departments offer study abroad opportunities. These programs allow you to immerse yourself in a different culture and learn the necessary team skills for future use.
- Some example programs include: Service Learning in Belize, Global Food Systems and Health, Public Health in Ghana: A One Health Perspective
Choosing a Major/Minor
- You can major in the humanities or social science as a pre-health student. These can include anthropology, sociology, and many more! For medical school, you will need one non-science professor for a letter of recommendation.
Volunteering
- Help volunteer at hospitals, soup kitchens, charities, and many other places. You will get the opportunity to work with individuals and families who come from different socioeconomic backgrounds that will help build the needed skills as a health professional.

Acceptance rates:

Physical Sciences: 47.7%
Biological Science: 40.6%
Math and Statistics: 47.3%
Humanities: 46.4%

Reference: bemoacademicconsulting.com

As you can see, the data is relatively close in acceptance rates. The ratios are different but this is an example of why you can major in whatever you please for professional school.

I remember when I took ANP 201 (Intro to Cultural Anthropology) in my Sophomore year and fell in love with the material. I met with an anthropology advisor and explained to her about my overall goal of getting into medical school. She gave me a clinical scenario and said “A patient comes to your office and has red, circular marks all over his back – what do you assume from this?” I had no idea what she was talking about until she revealed what is currently known as “cupping therapy”, which is a form of alternative medicine that originated in China to help facilitate blood flow. That was when I decided to double-major in Human Biology and Anthropology.

Now, of course, you do not have to double-major in a social science – you could major in it overall and still get into professional school. Remember, your major is not what they look at. They look at your required pre-requisite course that got you into that school.

Is humanities in medicine important?

Rock