At a Glance

To graduate with distinction in Humanities, you’ll complete:

  • Approved humanities coursework, including The Examined Life and other courses that deepen reflective or creative practice.  
  • A pre-clinical experiential learning project — including as a producer for The Short Coat Podcast or an approved equivalent — that cultivates communication, collaboration, and narrative awareness early in training.
  • A mentored scholarly or creative project demonstrating inquiry, craft, and engagement with a humanistic question or theme in medicine.
  • A comprehensive Capstone Portfolio, including final creative or scholarly work(s), an artist’s or author’s statement, and a polished presentation of intellectual or creative growth.
  • A Summative Reflection articulating how the HDT experience has shaped understanding of medicine, patient care, professional identity, and future aspirations. 

Track Requirements

Coursework

To provide a strong academic foundation, students must complete a minimum of three approved humanities-based elective credits, including at least one advanced elective offered through the Writing and Humanities Program or a 4 semester-hour humanities course approved by the HDT director.

Approved courses include:

  • Required: MED:8070 The Examined Life: Writing and Humanities in Medicine (1 SH)
  • Bioethics and Humanities Seminar (1 SH)
  • Medicine, Literature, and Writing (Advanced; 4 SH)
  • Improvisation: A Life Skill (4 SH)
  • Editorial Writing for Medical Students (Advanced)
  • Oaths and Ethics (Advanced)
  • Individualized Humanities Elective (Advanced; 4SH): Individualized elective opportunities may be arranged, based on project interest and need, with approval by mentor and HDT director

At least one elective must involve structured writing, creative, or reflective practice. 

Pre-Clinical Experiential Learning Requirement

Each HDT student participates in a creative, humanistic, experiential learning opportunity to explore communication, collaboration, and reflection in action.

The primary opportunity is serving as a Producer for The Short Coat Podcast — a student-led podcast exploring the culture, challenges, and curiosities of medical education.

Producers bring The Short Coat Podcast to life by planning and shaping episodes behind the scenes. They:

  • Develop guests, topics, and activities (e.g., interviews, games, field trips)
  • Coordinate logistics and pre-interviews
  • Collaborate with the host/executive producer on segment planning
  • Evaluate and reflect on the educational and humanistic dimensions of each episode

Other experiential ideas are welcome and may be approved by the HDT Director. These might include designing a humanities workshop, curating an art or writing exhibit, or developing a storytelling or community engagement project. 

Capstone Portfolio & Reflection

Mentored Creative/Scholarly Work: 

Students must complete a final research, scholarly, or creative work. This may be a single manuscript or a collection of works (e.g., essays, poems, stories, musical compositions, etc.), under the guidance of a mentor. Projects may take the form of a research paper, reflective essay series, creative portfolio, narrative inquiry, or arts-based exploration. Work involving human participants must comply with the Guidelines for Projects Involving Human Participants and include a summary of IRB status or exemption.

 

Project Plan (due by end of M3 year): 

2–3 pages, including:

  • Title
  • Background (Context of the work)
  • Aim (Problem/theme to be addressed; student goal)
  • Significance (Why the theme/problem matters)
  • Methods (Feasible plan to carry out project)
  • Deliverables (What will be produced)
  • Impact (Expected personal/professional outcomes)

 

Progress Reports: 

Students will submit Progress Reports three times:

  • March 1 of the M2 year (update on mentor pairing, electives, and final project planning)
  • March 1 of the M3 year (progress on project, elective completion, mentor engagement)
  • October 1 of the M4 year (completion status, preparation for final reflection and portfolio)

Reports summarize coursework completed, mentor meetings, and project progress. If progress is unsatisfactory, the HDT Director will collaborate with the student to revise goals.

 

Capstone Portfolio and Reflection

Instead of a formal oral presentation, students will complete a Capstone Portfolio, consisting of:

  • Final scholarly or creative work(s)
  • Summative Reflection:  By March 31 of the M4 year, each student will submit an 1000–1500 word personal narrative reflecting on the insights gained through the HDT and how this experience will influence their career and clinical identity.

 

Capstone Portfolio Submission: 

Students must assemble and submit a final HDT Portfolio including:

  • Original and revised HDT Project Plan
  • Final scholarly/creative work
  • Mentor feedback or evaluation (if applicable)
  • Summative reflection
  • Documentation of elective participation
  • 150–250 word professional statement linking HDT to future practice

Timeline

Participation in Multiple Tracks

Participation in the HDT may be combined with participation in another distinction track at the CCOM, so long as the necessary requirements for each track are satisfied separately.  CCOM students may only participate in two distinction tracks.