Department of Humanities
Humanities at Penn State College of Medicine
The mission of the Department of Humanities is to advance humanism in medicine and society.
When Penn State College of Medicine opened its doors in 1967, the Department of Humanities was one of its founding departments, the first humanities department to be included in a college of medicine in the United States.
The Department of Humanities reflects the rich history of medical humanities. The first two Humanities chairs were trained in religious studies and original faculty were literary scholars and philosophers. Our current faculty are trained in a variety of disciplines, including anthropology, literature, clinical medicine, ethics, cultural studies, women’s and gender studies, Asian Studies, and science and technology studies. Collectively, we pursue scholarship to advance knowledge, improve teaching, and contribute to our community on local, national, and international levels.
The Department of Humanities is all around you. Join us as we advance humanism in medicine and society.
Bernice L. Hausman, PhD
Garner James Cline Professor of Humanities in Medicine
Chair, Department of Humanities
Penn State College of Medicine
More about Humanities @ Penn State
Educational Programs
Humanities Spotlight
Center Stage Arts in Health
Center Stage Arts in Health program brings exciting opportunities for everyone to become involved in the arts at Penn State Health's Hershey campus. The program offers opportunities for patients, students, health care providers, staff, artists and community members.
Physician Writers' Group
Dr. Kimberly Myers founded the Penn State Health Physician Writers' Group as a means of fostering physician wellbeing by providing a structured opportunity for self-reflection and creative expression within an intimate, open, and confidential space. Small PWG cohorts convene on a revolving basis, and PWG publications regularly appear in major general and specialist medical journals.