QAS students in front of painting

Critical Medical Humanities

Critical Medical Humanities

Who should take this experience?

Students interested in careers that promote social equity and justice in health care, whether as providers, advocates, or policymakers, will find this program valuable. It offers credit toward degrees in Science and Technology Studies and Religious Studies. Completing this program will fulfill the Medical Humanities minor.

Application: The Winter 2026 application is open from September 29-October 31, 2025. 

Program dates: Winter quarter, January 5-March 11, 2025

  • Classes are held Monday and Wednesdays at UC Davis Aggie Square, on the UC Davis Health campus.
  • Max enrollment 25 students.
  • Applications are accepted on a first-apply, first-review, basis.
  • Prerequisites:
    • Applicants must be in good academic standing.
    • Students must complete the lower division writing requirement prior to applying.

Cost: Program fees are included in undergraduate students’ tuition and fees. There are no additional program fees to participate.

Information sessions:

Sign up to receive updates on our upcoming  experiences and the Critical Medical Humanities application.

Inequities in health care delivery mean that many who most need health care cannot access it. To become health care professionals who are; also agents for the improvement of health outcomes for all, students need to be well-versed in the sociocultural and historical factors that influence health care and the social, economic and political systems through which it is delivered.

This Quarter at Aggie Square experience will prepare students to promote social equity and justice in health care, whether as providers, advocates, or policymakers. Students will receive a strong foundation in pressing areas of challenge and change in healthcare: medical technologies, data analysis, privacy, cultural sensitivity, equity, and access to care. Through courses in Science and Technology Studies and Religious Studies, a community internship, and a public lecture series, students will learn to understand the role of history, social institutions, and power dynamics in shaping our current health care system and begin to consider new solutions. 

Application opens September 29, 2025

Caring for people as a medical professional is a tangible way to contribute to individuals' well-being, but only if those individuals have access to care. The benefits of the last 150 years of medical innovation have not been distributed equitably. 

Curriculum

FACULTY AND INSTRUCTORS

COURSES

This experience offers courses in Science and Technology Studies (STS) and Religious Studies (RST). By completing the experience, students will fulfill the Medical Humanities minor. Students who have taken courses in the experience can still participate in the program and will be enrolled in STS 198 or RST 198 to fully participate with Critical Medical Humanities.

  • RST 120/STS 120 Religion, Magic, & Science (4 units)
  • Religion, magic, and science from the middle ages to the present. Contrast between modern scientific methodology and religious and magical thinking. Taught by Joshua Mason.
  • RST 150 Gender and Science (4 units)
  • Interdisciplinary approach to the relations between gender and science. Topics include the biological and cultural construction of sexual difference, the role of women as practitioners of science, and feminist approaches to science. Taught by Dr. Emily Merchant.
  • RST 152 Justice, Equity and Privacy in Medical Humanities (4 units)
  • This course studies the religious bases of ethics by examining ethical problems that arise in different religious cultures worldwide and in nations where multiple religious cultures encounter similar issues. Taught by Dr. Emily Merchant.
  • STS 101 Data and Society (4 units)
  • Basic concepts in data science from a socio-cultural perspective. Identifying data stakeholders and their biases, reading and evaluating data documentation, exploring data through analysis and visualization, identifying knowledge gaps, and assessing data ethics. Taught by Anna Cole Crosbie.
  • STS 122 Health and Medical Technologies (4 units)
  • This course provides a critical and historical examination of medical technologies, including imaging, pharmaceuticals, genetics, and implants/devices. It explores the mutually constitutive relationship between health, medical technologies, and social differences such as race, gender, class, and sexuality. Taught by Dr. Alice Popejoy.

INTERNSHIPS

A core component of the Critical Medical Humanities program includes participating in a research or internship experience offered for UC Davis credit. This career-based experience aims to match you with your goals, interests, and experience level. Students are placed after they are enrolled and confirmed in the program. Internship and research sites vary each year and examples of past placements include:

  • Asian Resources, Inc. Community Services
  • California Department of Public Health
  • UC Davis Health Center for Healthcare Policy & Research
  • Elica Health Centers
  • UC Davis Department of Epidemiology
  • Public Health Service and Systems Research Project
  • Clinical and Translational Science Center at UC Davis
  • Shifa Community Clinic
  • UC Davis Health Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • UC Davis Perinatal Origins of Disparities Center
Amrit Bains stands next to a poster as part of her internship.
2024 participant Amrit Bains stands next to her internship poster developed with faculty Alice Popejoy.

ENGAGEMENT AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

Students will attend a public lecture series featuring experts from the fields of public health, genetics, law, history, cancer research, as well as others. Each student will have the opportunity for an informal lunch meeting with one of the speakers. These networking opportunities will provide students with contacts for future activities in these areas and widen the impact of the advancing healthcare equity through developing critical understanding of humanities in medicine and the contributions of a wide variety of fields.

Growing as a Community

Many students begin careers in the allied health fields because they want to be a force for good in the world. Caring for people as a medical professional is a tangible way to contribute to individuals’ well-being, but only if those individuals have access to care. The benefits of the last 150 years of medical innovation have not been distributed equitably, as access is structured by and perpetuates existing inequalities of race, gender, class, nationality, language, and sexuality. Together, we expand knowledge through community learning, fostering collaboration and inclusivity. This program aims to advance healthcare through equitable means by equipping students as agents for improving health outcomes for all. With Critical Medical Humanities, we introduce the sociocultural and historical factors influencing healthcare and the social, economic, and political systems through which it is delivered. We invite you to embark on this transformative journey to make a meaningful impact in the world of healthcare.