Jefferson Humanities & Health

Monday, November 2, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty and staff.

Join us for a small-group discussion of the life and legacy of Henrietta Lacks, and her impact on modern medicine and science.

Listening:

‘Henrietta Lacks’: A Donor’s Immortal Legacy, interview with Rebecca Skloot on Fresh Air (2010) (audio: 37min)

Time: 37min of listening

The Health Humanities Reading Group explores the life and legacy of Henrietta Lacks, whose cervical cells, taken and used without her knowledge, have played a role in modernity as we know it: from vaccines to medicine to space travel. Lacks’ story is unique but also representative of the pervasive mistreatment of Black people by institutions of medicine, science, education, and healthcare.

Special guest discussant: Ana Mari­a Lopez, MD, MPH, MACP, Professor and Vice Chair, Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Chief of Cancer Services, Jefferson Health New Jersey, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center

Copies of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot will be provided at the end of the session.

About HHRG

The Health Humanities Reading Group (HHRG) gathers regularly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session.

This event is full. Please contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator, if you wish to be contacted if spots open up.

Monday, November 2, 5-6PM. Teams. Open to Jefferson students.

Participants will be guided through a series of practices designed to bring peace and calm by connecting with the breath, body and creative spirit. Facilitated by Peggy Tileston, MT-BC.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop will take place online and is open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required. Particpants will be sent a Teams link after registration. If you register and cannot attend, please cancel at least 24 hours in advance to make room for another participant. Thank you!

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC).

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Tuesday, November 3, 6:30PM, Zoom.

Presented by Student Opioid Response Team. Learn how opioids are used and managed throughout the perioperative period, from preoperative assessment and anesthesia to postoperative pain management and recovery. This session will explore multimodal approaches to pain control, strategies to minimize opioid-related risks, and considerations for patients with opioid use disorder, including those receiving medication-assisted treatment. We will also discuss how surgical teams can balance effective pain management with patient safety and opioid stewardship.

This is not a Jefferson Humanities & Health event but credit is available for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate.

Conversation with the Author | Wednesday, November 4, 12-1 p.m. | Jefferson Alumni Hall, Atrium, 1020 Locust Street, Philadelphia (Center City Campus). Lunch provided while supplies last.

Keynote Lecture | Wednesday, November 4, 4-5 p.m. | DEC Forum, Lawrence N. Field DEC Center, 4201 Henry Avenue, Philadelphia (East Falls Campus)

Both events free and open to all.

In his National Book Award-winning novel Blackouts, author Justin Torres explores queer history, inheritance, and erasure.

At the core of the novel Blackouts is the imagined deathbed conversations between a young, unnamed narrator (referred to as Nene) and his friend and elder, Juan Gay. As Juan waits for his end, the two recount for each other moments of joy and oblivion, resurrecting loves, lives, mothers, fathers, and minor heroes. Juan shares his tattered and redacted copy of Sex Variants: A Study of Homosexual Patterns, and passes on his final wish: that Nene complete the story of Jan Gay, the real-life researcher whose early-20th-century interviews with queer people across the United States and Europe offered the foundation of Sex Variants, but whose contributions ended up being eclipsed—and all but erased—by the scientists whose legitimacy she required to publish her work. A dream-like and genre-defying creation, Blackouts incorporates erasure, photographs, testimony, illustrations, imaginary screenplays, and more as it insists that we look long and steadily at what we have inherited and what we have made.

Justin Torres is a novelist celebrated for a distinctly lyrical style that weaves truth and fiction, blending genres as he explores queer art, love, lineage, life, and death—and the multifaceted dynamics between family, friends, mentors, and strangers—through narrative. He is the author of Blackouts, winner of the 2023 National Book Award, and the instant contemporary queer classic We the Animals, which was translated into fifteen languages and adapted into a feature film. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Torres was named a National Book Foundation “5 Under 35,” a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, a Cullman Center Fellow at the New York Public Library, and was a recipient of a 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship. His short fiction and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, Granta, Tin House, The Washington Post, LA Times Image Magazine, and Best American Essays. He lives in Los Angeles and teaches at UCLA. He is at work on a new novel.

During 2026-2027, the Jefferson Humanities Forum hosts multidisciplinary scholars and thinkers to investigate the theme of Movement.

Co-presented by Jefferson Humanities & Health, the Philadelphia University Honors Institute at Thomas Jefferson University and the College of Humanities & Sciences.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Wednesday, November 4, 3PM. Ham 208/209.

Join Integrative Medicine Society for a workshop to learn integrative, evidence-based modalities that protect both patients and providers against stress and burnout. We will be learning integrative approaches to stress management in medical school, as well as making either hand-held aromatherapy inhalers or calming tea bags. 

Learn what integrative medicine is, paradigm shifts on stress management, and personal resources to build your coping toolbox.

This is not a Jefferson Humanities & Health event, but credit is available for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate.

Wednesday, November 4, 5-7PM, BLSB 105. Open to Jefferson students, faculty and staff.

Curated by Co-Directors and DEAFMed student liaisons Allie Capik, SKMC '2028, Benedicta Olonilua, SKMC '26 and Natalie Perlov, SKMC '25, the DEAFMed series seeks to educate health professions students about Deaf culture & history and how to work with the Deaf community.

During this session, you can further develop your communication skills with Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, enhance your cultural competence, and refine your ability to collaborate with sign language interpreters. This skills reinforcement session aims to solidify attendees’ understanding and confidence in navigating healthcare interactions with the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

Presenters: Sam Hawk, Paul Thiergartner, and Karen Kennedy (experienced Deaf interpreters in medical settings)

SKMC students taking DEAFMed as a Humanities Selective who are also enrolled in the JMD 153 or JMD 252 Asano Humanities & Health Certificate are not eligible to count these sessions towards Asano.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Wednesday, November 4, 7-8PM. Hamilton 212.

Health Profession Students for Chronic Illness and Disability will be hosting a patient panel of people living with mobility differences who use mobility aids.

By attending the panel, you will be able to hear firsthand lived experiences of people living with mobility differences, develop a better understanding of daily living with a mobility aids, and expand your practice treating patients with mobility aids. 

This is not a Jefferson Humanities & Health event, but credit is available for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate.

Thursday, November 5, 12-1PM. Conrady Lobby, next to Helix Gallery, Dorrance H. Hamilton Building, 1001 Locust Street. Lunch provided while supplies last. Free and open to all.

Join us for a conversation and tour of the Helix Gallery exhibition Relics of Care with artist Aimee Koran.

Philadelphia artist Aimee Koran works across mediums and explores how images, issues, and objects intimately associated with motherhood reveal how care is valued in social, political and economic terms. By manipulating color, material and scale, she transforms personal possessions synonymous with pregnancy, infancy, and parenting - some hand-made, some handed down, some mass produced - from refuse into relics. Through her prints and sculptures, Koran retools the remnants of maternal labor to question ways in which the work of women is often overlooked and under-appreciated.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator..

Thursday, November 5, JAH Atrium, 12-1PM. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty and staff.

Join Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, Jefferson Oncology Society, and the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) for the annual SKMC Bone Marrow Thon 2026 on November 5! From 12:00 PM to 1 PM in the JAH Atrium, Dr. Filicko-O'Hara, a medical oncologist, will discuss the essential role of bone marrow transplantation in oncology. This will be followed by Ms. KatieRose Fitti and Mr. Houston Robertson from the NMDP, who will be discussing the NMDP donor registry and the importance of diversity within the registry, particularly among AANHPI and other underrepresented communities. A cheek-swab registration booth will be open from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM in the JAH Lobby for those interested in joining the registry. Lunch and snacks will be provided at the presentation and registration booth, respectively. All Jefferson students, staff, and faculty are welcome! 

This is not a Jefferson Humanities & Health event, but credit towards the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate and the Anti-Racism in Health Focus is available for attendance of the panel from 12-1PM.

Thursday, November 5, 5PM. Hamilton 505 and Teams. 

Please join Gold Humanism Honor Society and JeffHOPE as we host Dr. James Withers, an internal medicine physician at UPMC, who is internationally recognized as the pioneer of the "street medicine" movement. He is best known for delivering medical care directly to unsheltered homeless populations in locations like alleys, riverbanks, and under bridges. Virtual option also available.

This is not a Jefferson Humanities & Health event, but credit is available for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate.

Monday, November 9, 12-1PM, Hamilton Room 505. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty and staff.

In this Anti-Racism in Health Focus discussion, learn to define the concept of race, the institution of racism, and race-based medicine.

In this Anti-Racism in Health Focus introduction to the history of racism in medicine, participants will learn to

• Define the concept of race
• Define the institution of racism and its many forms including structural racism
• List 3 specific examples of racism in medicine
• Explain race-based medicine and describe examples of how it contributes to structural racism

Facilitator: Bernard L. Lopez, MD, MS, CPE, FACEP, FAAEM, Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Thomas Jefferson University.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Tuesday, November 10, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students.

Join us for a discussion of micro-fictions from the short story collection People from My Neighborhood by Hiromi Kawakami

People from My Neighborhood, by celebrated Japanese author Hiromi Kawakami, is a small collection of "palm of hand" stories (micro-fiction 2-3 pages long) about a suburban Tokyo neighborhood. It chronicles the members of a small close-knit community and the tangled network of ties between them all. But this is no ordinary neighborhood: a child found under a tree, a strange disease turns citizens into pigeons, a doctor insists that most of the town's people are born from eggs... these stories are a subtle commentary on medicine, health-care and late stage capitalism. Kawakami's collection is a beautiful example of the magical-realism genre where quiet whimsey explores a deeper emotional and political truth.

Copies of People from My Neighborhood will be available for students at the discussion. 

Facilitator:

Katherine Hubbard, MA, Teaching Instructor, JeffMD Humanities Selectives, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session. To access the reading, participants must visit the Health Humanities Reading Group module in the Jefferson Humanities & Health organization on Canvas or the JMD 153 or the JMD 252 Asano Certificate courses on Canvas. Most Asano students are already users in these Humanities & Health Canvas courses. If that is not the case, participants may email Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

About the Health Humanities Reading Group:

The Health Humanities Reading Group gathers regularly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session.

Wednesday, November 11, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students.

Bring your questions about how to write about the Humanities programs you plan to attend during this academic year. Leave with fresh ideas about how you might turn your impressions into thoughtful, creative reflections as you complete your Asano portfolio. We will focus mostly on written reflections, but will also touch on other forms of creative response to the events, topics, and experiences you will be collecting as an Asano candidate. You will leave this workshop with examples of concise essays and poems that might inspire your own reflections. We will also discuss how a reflective practice could help you grow and thrive throughout your career as a healthcare professional.

Led by Megan Voeller, Director of Humanities.

Participants who attended the Asano Humanities Portfolio sessions on August18, August 31, or October 5 for Asano credit may not count this session towards Asano credit.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Programs Coordinator.

Thursday, November 12, 12-1PM, Bluemle Life Sciences Building, Room 105. Lunch provided. Opent o Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

In this Anti-Racism in Health Focus discussion, learn to define microaggressions and the steps one can take to disarm their effects.

A microaggression is an unintentional and unconscious action that can negatively affect our day-to-day human interactions. They cause real harm to individuals. There is a large amount of evidence that it can be a major factor in the creation of disparities in the healthcare environment that can ultimately lead to patient-care disparities. In this session, we will define microaggressions, its documented effects in medicine, the concept of silent collusion, and the steps one can take to disarm the effects of microaggression.

At the end of the session, the attendees will be able to

• Define microaggressions.

• Give two examples of how microaggressions affect the patient care environment.

• Define “silent collusion.”

• Name at least three techniques to address a witnessed microaggression.

Facilitator: Bernard L. Lopez, MD, MS, CPE, FACEP, FAAEM, Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Thomas Jefferson University.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Thursday, November 12, 5-6:30PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Light dinner provided. Open to Jefferson students.

Everyone needs some down time but not the guilt that comes when we think we are not being productive. Why not relax and be productive by joining us for some yarn work??

Spend some time with Dr. Elizabeth Spudich and Dr. Abigail Kay learning how to knit or crochet; or if you are already skilled come and share your talent.

Each student will get a kit including yarn, hooks or needles (depending on your chosen craft), some basic patterns, and other surprises!

Facilitators:

Dr. Abigail Kay, MA, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Associate Dean, Academic Affairs & Undergraduate Medical Education, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

Dr. Elizabeth Spudich, PhD, Assistant Professor, Chief, Anatomy Education Division, Department of Medical Education, JeffMD Anatomy Thread Director, JeffMD Cardiopulmonary Block Co-Director, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

Friday, November 13, Sessions from 8:30-10AM, 10:30AM-12PM, and 12:30-2PM. Email JCIPE to participate.

TeamMICRO (Microaggressions Intervention for Collaborative Outcomes) is a simulation-based program designed to help interprofessional healthcare students recognize and respond to microaggressions with empathy and effectiveness. The program begins with asynchronous online modules that introduce the concept of microaggressions, their impact on patient care and teamwork, and the Microaggression Triangle Model—a framework that explores the perspectives of the source, recipient, and bystander. Students then apply this knowledge in two high-fidelity simulation cases featuring trained simulated participants (SPs), allowing them to practice intervention strategies in realistic clinical scenarios. Each simulation is followed by a trauma-informed debriefing session conducted in a psychologically brave space, where students reflect on their experiences, build confidence, and strengthen their communication and collaboration skills.

If you're interested in participating, please email Jefferson Center for Interprofessional Practice & Education.

This is not a Jefferson Humanities & Health event, but credit is available for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate and the Anti-Racism in Health Focus.

Monday, November 16, 12-1PM. Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students.

Join Linda Ruggiero, PhD, BS, BSN, RN-BC for an introductory workshop on mindful weaving. In this all-levels workshop, participants will learn the basics of hand weaving and will create a unique textile wall hanging.

We will begin class with an introduction to weaving on a frame loom, and students will learn the basics of warping and weaving the basic stitch: plain weave. Once comfortable with these techniques, each student will be asked to consider a story or memory in their personal life that they would like to represent in their textile. Using color cards and color psychology theory, students will choose fabrics, yarn, and threads that represent elements of their stories to create their own personalized weavings.

No experience needed; all materials provided. 

Linda Ruggiero, PhD, BSN, BS, RN-BC, is a Philadelphia-based nurse and textile artist whose sculptural fiber work is informed by her experiences in critical care at a Level I trauma center. As a clinically practicing nurse with doctoral training in neuroscience, she uses color psychology and tactile materiality to create textiles that tell stories of grief, trauma, and healing. Linda is the Clinical Practice Lead in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) at Jefferson Health.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator..

Tuesday, November 17, 12-1PM, Eakins Lounge, Jefferson Alumni Hall. Lunch provided while supplies last. Open to Jefferson students, faculty, and staff. No registration necessary.

Antar Goodwin, a Philadelphia-based roots and blues artist, blends the grit of classic blues with the soul of Americana in his music. Before gaining recognition with his band, Antar Goodwin & The Faithful Sinners, he spent 15 years as a bassist in New York City’s vibrant music scene. During this time, he served as a musical director, co-writer, performed, and/or recorded with several national touring artists, including Sting, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Bruce Katz, Sean Chambers, Ruth Brown, Benny Golson, and co-wrote the album “On My Way,” which reached the Billboard top 10 twice and was featured on Blues Rock Review’s list of the Top 20 Albums of 2022. His raw honesty and emotional depth create a powerful invitation for listeners. With a deep well of storytelling and masterful guitar work, Antar takes audiences on a journey of truth and transformation through his timeless sound.

Antar and his band recently concluded the second leg of their UK tour in support of their album, “The Game,” recorded and produced by Ben Rice at Degraw Sound, known for his collaborations with Joan Osborne, Valerie June, and Norah Jones. Upon their return, Antar signed with Bigger Beast Records, an artist-centric record label based in Connecticut. Building on the momentum of “The Game,” Antar is eagerly anticipating the release of his new single in the first quarter of 2027. 

The Humanities Concert Series is made possible through a generous gift from Deborah L. August, MD, MPH, and Robert H. Rosenwasser, MD, FACS, FAHA

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Monday, November 30, 5-6PM, Teams. Open to Jefferson students.

In order to effectively care for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This virtual workshop will introduce you to a variety of art-based experiences designed to promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Facilitated by art therapist Sondra Rosenberg.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop will take place online and is open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required. A Teams link will be provided at a later date. If you register and cannot attend, please cancel at least 24 hours in advance to make room for another participant. Thank you!

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC).

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Tuesday, December 1, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students.

Join us for a discussion of the chapter "On the Body" from the The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life by Suleika Jaouad.

The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice of an Inspired Life, by Suleika Jaouad is a collection of contemplations by well-known writers and thinkers along with inspiring writing prompts. It has been shown that journaling reduces stress, sharpens the thinking process and increases a sense of agency in your life. And, perhaps most importantly, journaling helps with burnout and compassion fatigue, two issues students and health-care workers alike experience.

This month we will read and discuss Jaouad's chapter titled, "On the Body," where she talks about her body after leukemia treatments and how it was viewed both by herself and others. After a 30 minute discussion, we will then write. You will have the choice of two prompts from her book to work from. This is a contemplative, calming hour at the end of your semester which will hopefully leaving you feeling inspired and restored.

Copies of The Book of Alchemy will be available for students after the discussion.

Facilitator:

Katherine Hubbard, MA, Teaching Instructor, JeffMD Humanities Selectives, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session. To access the reading, participants must visit the Health Humanities Reading Group module in the Jefferson Humanities & Health organization on Canvas or the JMD 153 or the JMD 252 Asano Certificate courses on Canvas. Most Asano students are already users in these Humanities & Health Canvas courses. If that is not the case, participants may email Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

About the Health Humanities Reading Group:

The Health Humanities Reading Group gathers regularly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. Participants are expected to read, and come prepared to discuss, the text selected for each session.

Wednesday, December 2, 12-1PM, Jefferson Alumni Hall, Hamilton Room 505 Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty and staff.

How does racism affect all aspects of the Social Determinants of Health and what are Philadelphia's health outcomes by neighborhood?

The Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) play a significant role in individual and population health outcomes. SDOH is affected by many factors. One factor is racism as it affects all aspects of SDOH. In this session, we’ll define racism, examine its history as it relates to the social determinants of health, and examine the city of Philadelphia’s health outcomes by neighborhood. 

Objectives – at the end of the session, learners will be able to: 

Define the institution of racism and its many forms, including structural racism 

List 5 components of the Social Determinants of Health 

Discuss the importance of structural competency 

Discuss examples of structural racism’s effects as a barrier to health equity 

Facilitator: Bernard L. Lopez, MD, MS, CPE, FACEP, FAAEM, Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Thomas Jefferson University.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Monday, January 4, 5-6:30PM, Hamilton 505. Dinner provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty and staff.

Join us for this important talk by Dr. Sal Mangione in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27. Eighty-two years after the liberation of Auschwitz the horror of the Shoah remains as haunting to mankind as ever, as indicated by countless books, documentaries, and monographs dedicated to the subject. Recent attention has gradually shifted away from “perpetrators” and focused instead on the “rescuers” – those few courageous souls who chose to risk their lives so that others could live. As the epitome of altruism for the betterment of mankind one would expect physicians to have been both rescuers and resisters during the Holocaust. Yet, German doctors were the most nazified profession in Hitler’s Reich, with every second male physician becoming a party member. In fact, many were perpetrators who not only provided “scientific” legitimization and manpower to domestic campaigns of sterilization and euthanasia, but who themselves participated in pseudo-scientific experiments on concentration camp prisoners. Hence, the need to revisit the topic.

Content Advisory: This presentation features photographs depicting graphic images of war and death.

Speaker:

SALVATORE MANGIONE, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the SKMC of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, where he also directs the Humanities and History of Medicine courses. 

Students enrolled in both Asano and the Humanities Selective History of Medicine are not eligible to count this event towards Asano. 

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator..

Monday, January 4, 6:30-8PM. Hamilton 505. Open to Jefferson students, faculty and staff.

Join us for this lecture by Dr. Sal Mangione on a doctor's responsibilities and professional identity.

We live in times when physicians seem to have been debased to providers of medical services’, with patients being in turn reduced to ‘consumers’. Such debasement of the sacred patient-physician relationship has robbed us of a rich tradition that for centuries made medicine the profession of eclectic individuals capable of contributing to society through much more than stethoscopes and scalpels. Hence, this presentation will prompt reflection on "doctoring" and its responsibilities -- issues that have been rendered even more timely by the coronavirus pandemic. It's therefore a talk on professional identity, prompted in part by the ongoing debate about what it means being a 'Doctor' or, at least, what it ought to mean. This debate was started by the September 2019 Op-Ed piece published by Dr. Goldfarb in the Wall Street Journal (“Take Two Aspirin and Call Me by My Pronouns”), which eventually led to a ‘perspective’ Dr. Mangione published in the New England Journal of Medicine on July 22, 2021.

Speaker:

SALVATORE MANGIONE, MD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the SKMC of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, where he also directs the Humanities and History of Medicine courses. Students enrolled in both Asano and the Humanities Selective History of Medicine are not eligible to count this session towards Asano.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Monday, January 11, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students.

Bring your questions about how to write about the Humanities programs you attended during this academic year. Leave with fresh ideas about how you might turn your impressions into thoughtful, creative reflections as you complete your Asano portfolio. We will focus mostly on written reflections, but will also touch on other forms of creative response to the events, topics, and experiences you will be collecting as an Asano candidate. You will leave this workshop with examples of concise essays and poems that might inspire your own reflections. We will also discuss how a reflective practice could help you grow and thrive throughout your career as a healthcare professional.

Led by Megan Voeller, Director of Humanities.

Participants who attended the Asano Humanities Portfolio sessions on August 18, August 31, October 5, or November 11 for Asano credit may not count this session towards Asano credit.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Programs Coordinator.

Monday, January 11, 5-6:30PN, Connelly Auditorium, Hamilton Building. Dinner provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty and staff.

Fourth-year medical student Kishan Patel shares his cancer journey in this candid lecture and conversation event. Cancer isn’t something that starts and finishes, it’s something that you live with. My message is that patients are humans, too. Treating patients like humans will make them want to be treated and come back to see you. It will help build the patient-clinician relationship that we hear about in the curriculum but aren’t really taught how to encourage. Ever since I was diagnosed and went through cancer, I’ve had a more positive outlook in life. I hope that by sharing my perspective and experience, it will encourage others to have a more positive outlook, too, especially in professional/graduate school when life is already hard.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator.

Wednesday, January 20, 12-1PM, Bluemle LIfe Science Building, Room 107. Lunch provided. Opent o Jefferson students, faculty, and staff.

In this Anti-Racism in Health Focus discussion, learn to define microaggressions and the steps one can take to disarm their effects.

A microaggression is an unintentional and unconscious action that can negatively affect our day-to-day human interactions. They cause real harm to individuals. There is a large amount of evidence that it can be a major factor in the creation of disparities in the healthcare environment that can ultimately lead to patient-care disparities. In this session, we will define microaggressions, its documented effects in medicine, the concept of silent collusion, and the steps one can take to disarm the effects of microaggression.

At the end of the session, the attendees will be able to

• Define microaggressions.

• Give two examples of how microaggressions affect the patient care environment.

• Define “silent collusion.”

• Name at least three techniques to address a witnessed microaggression.

Facilitator: Bernard L. Lopez, MD, MS, CPE, FACEP, FAAEM, Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Thomas Jefferson University.

Students who attended the September 21 session for Asano credit are not eligible to count this session for Asano credit.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, HUmaniteis Program Coordinator.

Monday, January 25, 5-6PM. Teams. Open to Jefferson students.

Each month, creative arts therapists lead writing, music & arts exercises that promote stress management & burnout prevention.

Coping with Stress

In this virtual, art-based workshop, participants will engage in a variety of practices designed to reduce stress. Learn how to identify the physical and emotional symptoms of stress and how to move through them to a more grounded and relaxed state. Facilitated by art therapist Sondra Rosenberg.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop is virtual and open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required. A Teams link will be provided in the Eventbrite order confirmation and the event reminder from Eventbrite, which will be emailed 48 hours before the event. If you do not receive the Teams link, please contact Kirsten Bowen.

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC)

Monday, February 8, 12-1PM, Scott Memorial Library 200A. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students.

Bring your questions about how to write about the Humanities programs you attended during this academic year. Leave with fresh ideas about how you might turn your impressions into thoughtful, creative reflections as you complete your Asano portfolio. We will focus mostly on written reflections, but will also touch on other forms of creative response to the events, topics, and experiences you will be collecting as an Asano candidate. You will leave this workshop with examples of concise essays and poems that might inspire your own reflections. We will also discuss how a reflective practice could help you grow and thrive throughout your career as a healthcare professional.

Led by Megan Voeller, Director of Humanities.

Participants who attended the Asano Humanities Portfolio sessions on August 18, August 31, October 5, November 11, or January 11 for Asano credit may not count this session towards Asano credit.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Programs Coordinator.

Monday, February 8, 5-6PM. Teams. Open to Jefferson students.

Each month, creative arts therapists lead writing, music & arts exercises that promote stress management & burnout prevention.

Coping with Stress

In order to effectively care for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This virtual workshop will introduce you to a variety of music-based experiences designed to promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Facilitated by Peggy Tileston, MT-BC.

About the Creative Approaches to Self-Care Series

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Please note: This workshop is virtual and open to Jefferson students only; pre-registration required. A Teams link will be provided in the Eventbrite order confirmation and the event reminder from Eventbrite, which will be emailed 48 hours before the event. If you do not receive the Teams link, please contact Kirsten Bowen.

Co-presented with the Student Counseling Center (SCC)

Wednesday, February 10, 12-1PM, Hamilton 224/225. Lunch provided. Open to Jefferson students, faculty and staff.

A musical reflection through your life, with teaching artist Josh Robinson

We all have a soundtrack that marks the many chapters of our lives. Teaching artist Josh Robinson will facilitate a reflection through your musical past, your stories, and the role music has played throughout your life. The workshop uses music as a vehicle to help participants connect to others and reconnect to themselves. Participants will be guided to reflect on the meaning of various songs in their lives and how music has helped them through both positive and negative experiences.

About the facilitator

Josh Robinson is a professional percussionist, teaching artist, and drum facilitator. He has been a visiting instructor in the Humanities at Thomas Jefferson University for the past four years and is in his second year as the Humanities artist-in-residence. For the past 19 years, Josh has used his skills, expertise, and life experience to share drumming and the many gifts it brings with thousands of people each year around the country. 

Students who attened Soundtrack to Your Life on October 22 for Asano credit are not eligible to count this session for Asano.

Questions? Contact Kirsten Bowen, Humanities Program Coordinator..