Medical health and liberal arts may seem like two unrelated fields, but the two disciplines work well together for aspiring medical professionals, as evidenced by the newly formed BYU Medical Humanities Club.
Joint club vice president Adam Brantley said studying liberal arts with science courses can help students move forward in the health industry.
“Everyone applying to medical school has a science background in biology, chemistry — you name it,” Brantley said. “I’ve talked to some employers who said that a study in humanities really helps an application stick out.”
The club has several guest speakers who will visit and discuss health-related topics throughout the semester.
Susan Sample, an assistant professor in the Division of Medical Ethics and Humanities at the University of Utah, is scheduled later this fall to discuss how her experience in writing and health disciplines helped her in the medical field.
The club, designed to combine both fields of study, caught Nicole Simone’s attention, who is studying biology and Chinese.
“I’ve always wanted to go into medicine, but I also love English, the liberal arts, even painting,” Simone said. “I like that they’re bringing all of that together.”
The goal of the interdisciplinary club is to help aspiring health professionals cultivate a sense of empathy and compassion for the patients they will one day serve, said club president Davis Rutter.
“Pre-med is very competitive,” Rutter said. “We want to build a community of culture and collaboration that will help students remember to always treat their patients with genuine concern.”
The club presidency said they hope the Medical Humanities club will one day become a minor at BYU.
“We want the club to become more than a club,” said joint vice president, Eliza Neal. “We hope it can be a place where students can learn what is needed while implementing more aspects that will make their career more meaningful.”
The Medical Humanities Club meets every other Thursday, with a meeting on Sept. 20, at 6 p.m. in B135 JFSB.
For updates about future events, follow the Medical Humanities Club Facebook page.
