Quarter at Aggie Square equips future health care leader McKenna Rangel
In winter 2023, Quarter at Aggie Square welcomed a new cohort of students to Critical Medical Humanities — previously known as Advancing Healthcare Equity — an experience focused on exploring the sociocultural and historical factors influencing health care, alongside social, economic and political systems. This experience equips students with the tools necessary to drive impactful change, empower future leaders with cultural competency, develop ethical understanding, and apply real-world skills essential for improving patient care and addressing systemic disparities in health care.
Fourth-year cognitive science major McKenna Rangel was one of the participants. Her classes taught her how to work in health care while prioritizing patients’ needs. She remarks, “If you’re going into the health care field, you're generally a STEM major. You’re learning a lot of the hard sciences. This experience allows you to be more well-rounded and understanding of your patients and where they’re coming from.”
Rangel’s favorite part of the experience was the speaker series, where distinguished healthcare providers and faculty discuss their pathways to healthcare and the impact their research can have in addressing issues in health systems. One of Rangel’s most memorable moments was when a panel of the bioethics health care board assisted students in a presentation and discussion on ethical approaches to making decisions for patients.
“This is one of the only programs that I’ve been a part of where you constantly hear from people in the field who are currently working on projects relevant to the field,” said Rangel. Attending the speaker series provided Rangel and her peers the opportunity to learn from and network with industry professionals and gain insight into careers across the healthcare industry.
After participating in the experience, Rangel had the opportunity to work at the UC Davis Perinatal Origins of Disparity Center, which focuses on preventing health disparities early in life. There, she directly applied her skills to serve all patients better while raising awareness of existing biases in healthcare. Advancing Health Care Equity paved the way for her future lab work as an assistant to Dr. Daniel Stolzenberg in the psychology department, where she studied postpartum depression and the effects of psilocybin on pregnant women. This role not only influenced her research goals but also gave her insight into how research can address determinants of health.
Reflecting on her aspirations, she said, “I’m planning to go into research in the future, so working in a lab was one of my big goals.”
In Rangel’s third year, Dr. Meaghan O'Keefe, faculty lead for Critical Medical Humanities and chair of the medical humanities minor, invited her to become the Medical Humanities Peer Advisor. In this role, she advises students interested in the newly established Medical Humanities minor.
Dr. O'Keefe explained, “The minor helps you become more well-rounded and better understand your patients and their backgrounds. It requires 20 units—8 required and 12 elective—covering topics such as history, sociology, religious studies, and science and technology studies. These courses are essential for gaining a comprehensive understanding of ethics in healthcare, which is crucial for future professionals.” In a new iteration of the experience launching in spring 2025, students will be able to complete the entire medical humanities minor in just 10 weeks.
Rangel’s journey exemplifies the program's commitment to cultivating well-rounded healthcare professionals who are deeply connected to the communities they serve. By providing internships with experiences alongside healthcare professionals and opportunities for groundbreaking research, UC Davis continues to prepare students to lead the way toward a more just and inclusive future in health care.
Students interested in the program can learn more by visiting the Critical Medical Humanities webpage and signing up for the student interest list to stay updated on future experiences. Questions about information sessions or the program itself, email qas@ucdavis.edu.