Asano Humanities &
Health Certificate

Step One: Register for the 2020-21 certificate program here.

Though registration is not binding, it sets an intention of completion for yourself and it puts you on our radar so we can better track your attendance and send you the occasional email blast. Registration remains open year-round. 

Step Two: You have until the end of March to attend eight (8) events from the Jefferson Humanities & Health event calendar at Jefferson.edu/Humanities. Eligible events are marked with an asterisk (*). This is the fun part! You get to attend our rich array of programming and partner events that explore music, multi-media art, medical ethics, narrative medicine, and more. 

To get credit, you must notify Matilda Ostow, Humanities Program Coordinator, via email after the event. We also recommend that you keep a list of the events you have attended for your own reference. When you input your eight events on Submittable at the end of the year, you will be asked to provide a three-sentence description of the event. 

Four (4) of your eight (8) events can also come from participation with certain student organizations and university programs. See below to learn more about participating orgs.

Step Three: This is Part 1 of the porfolio process. Enter the eight events you attended (with a three sentence description) on Submittable.

Step Four: This is Part 2 of the portfolio process. Complete four (4) reflection prompts in response to four (4) of the events that you attended throughout the year and upload your completed reflections to Submittable. See below for instructions and example reflections.

Step Five: Submit your completed portfolio (Part 1: Events and Part 2: Reflections) for review by March 29, 2021, 11:59 p.m. through Submittable.

Note: If you are a current second-year SKMC student seeking credit for JeffMD 252, you must submit your reflection portfolio (through Submittable as well) by December 14, 2020, 11:59 p.m.

Step Six: Celebrate with friends and classmates during a special certificate awards event in late April!

Q: What is this and why should I do this?

A: The Asano Humanities & Health Certificate is a co-curricular program that rewards your engagement in the arts and humanities and complements your formal course of study. Completion of the program signifies your effort toward becoming a healthcare professional who considers how the arts and humanities can cultivate close observation, communication, empathy, and reflection on the social contexts of wellbeing. Though all Jefferson Humanities & Health programs and events are free and open to the Jefferson community, registering for Asano means that you are committed to attending eight events and completing four reflections (and that you will have an opportunity to celebrate your achievement with us at the end of the academic year!). 

Participating in the Asano certificate program is a great way to motivate yourself to attend some incredible programs on campus, connect with a community of students similarly committed to the humanities, find personal enrichment, and expose yourself to content that you might not find elsewhere at Jefferson.  

SKMC students: You also might want to do Asano because it can count as one of your two Humanities Selective Credits (JMD 152/252). Reach out SKMC Humanities Thread Education Coordinator, David.Meinhart@jefferson.edu, with any questions.

Q: Does it matter what college I am in?

A: NO! The Asano Humanities & Health Certificate is open to all students in all colleges and programs, on all Jefferson campuses.

Q: What is the time commitment?

A: You have the entire academic year (until the end of March) to attend eight live or virtual programs and complete your reflections. Programs and events are usually one or two hours long, so you’re looking at 12-ish hours of programming plus the amount of time it will take you to thoughtfully respond to the reflection prompts = approx 12-ish hours of time (again, which can be spread out over the  academic year).

SKMC students seeking credit have special submission deadlines and should confirm this information in Canvas. 

Q: Where can I find upcoming events? How often is the calendar updated?

A: All upcoming events can be found on the Humanities & Health website at jefferson.edu/Humanities. The calendar is updated regularly (typically at least once per week) as programs are added. Any cancellations or postponements will also be noted as soon as possible.

Q: The student organization I am a part of is not listed under eligible organizations even though its content is related to arts and the humanities. Can my participation still count towards the Asano certificate?

A: Maybe! Reach out to Humanities Program Coordinator, Matilda.Ostow@jefferson.edu, to see if it can count. Glad that you know that student organization participation can count for four out of eight of your events!

Q: How do I keep track of events that I have attended?

A: The Program Coordinator will track your attendance using sign-in sheets from events (which you are responsible for filling out) and from emails that you send after attending any event that doesn’t have a sign-in sheet. We also recommend that you keep a list of the events you have attended for your own reference. When you list your eight events on Submittable at the end of the year, you will be asked to provide a three-sentence description of the event. All past events are listed on our Website to jog your memory.

Q: Can I get this certificate more than once?

A: You can complete the Asano program as many times as you would like. However, SKMC students can only earn Humanities Selective credit for Asano once.

Q: Do I need to choose four different reflection prompts for each of my four reflections?

A: Nope! You can respond to whichever prompts you wish, as many times as you wish. I.e. you can respond to one prompt four times.

Q: Can the creative piece be something I already made or photographed?

A: We love that you want to share something you created previously, but the reflections should be inspired by or made in response to an Asano program you attend, and so your submission should be a new piece. 

Four (4) of your eight (8) events can come from participation in these student organizations and university programs:

• Diversity Council
• Jefferson Chamber Orchestra
• JeffMentors
• JeffSOAR
• JeffYES
• JeffVotes
• J-Jams
• Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)
• No One Dies Alone (NODA)
• NoRx Improv
• Palliative Care Interest Group
• The Story Initiative

Other initiatives and programs:

• Knitting and Crocheting Group
• Narrative Medicine Workshop Series
• Physician Executive Leadership-PEL Plus Program
• TimeSlips

Reach out to Matilda Ostow, Humanities Program Coordinator, if you have questions about an organization that is not listed.

Note: Student organization meetings and events must be registered through OSLE in order to count toward the certificate.

Explore exemplary reflections written by past Asano certificate recipients, organized by the five prompt options.

+ Make a Creative Piece

Featuring writing and creative works by Ayano Endo, Victoria Coaxum, Iman Soliman, Lauren Thaete, and Stanley Szeto.

+ Who Decides What's Best?

Featuring reflections by David Bales, Reilly Scott, Dunia Tonob, and Madeleine Kilimnik.

+ Three Words

Featuring reflections by Brigitte Anderson, Brianna Kunes, Andrew Jordan, and Emily Huang.

+ Agree or Disagree

Featuring reflections by Kelly Garrigan, Lyena Birkenstock, and Nellie Shields.

+ What?/So What?/Now What?

Featuring reflections by Beverly Anaele, Sai Mupparaju, Amy Baumgart, and two anonymous reflectors.