Jefferson Humanities & Health supports student engagement in the arts and humanities to promote essential skills related to healthcare including close observation, critical thinking, communication and empathy.
Throughout the year, our programs highlight the social contexts of health and wellness, lived experiences of diverse individuals and communities, and self-care for health professionals.
Each academic year, Jefferson Humanities & Health explores a thought-provoking theme from a wide range of perspectives. During 2021-2022, the Jefferson Humanities Forum speaker series will bring a handful of multidisciplinary scholars and thinkers to investigate the theme Origins.
Throughout the year, forum events will explore aspects of Origins as it relates to: personal origins and family history; origin of the human species, behavior, and society; national and constitutional origins; and origins and the universe. Learn more about the Jefferson Humanities Forum here.
Submit art & writing to Evanescent Issue #4 by September 30 deadline
Evanescent: A Journal of Literary Medicine, issue #4
Evanescent publishes writing that engages with the rich domain of health and healthcare. This includes issues of physical and mental health, social determinants of health, health equity, illness, medicine, trauma and healing, empathy, wellness, and other related topics. We also are looking for compelling visual art and photography that address these issues.
All current employees, faculty, volunteers, and students of Jefferson at all campuses, sites and offices are welcome to submit to Evanescent!
The guiding theme of Evanescent issue #4 is: Where Is Our Empathy?
Read guidelines and submit, by the September 30, 2022 deadline, here.
Read previous issues of Evanescent here.
Submit writing to the 2nd Annual Theresa and Charles Yeo Writing Prize by June 17 deadline
The 2nd Annual Theresa and Charles Yeo Writing Prize
The Drs. Theresa and Charles Yeo Writing Prize, the annual writing contest of the Eakins Writing Project, is an annual invitation for all members of the Jefferson community to engage in the empowering act of writing. Writing can be exploratory, therapeutic, enjoyable, and much more. While we may not think of ourselves as writers, we all harbor creativity. Our roles as members of a large health system place each of us in a unique opportunity to witness and be a part of incredible stories every day. The Prize is a call to share those stories and recognize the impact they can have on ourselves and our community.
The Prize is open to all current employees, faculty, volunteers, and students of Jefferson at all campuses, sites and offices.
This year’s topic is gun violence and its effects. The top three winners will receive cash prizes.
Read guidelines and submit by the June 17 deadline here.
Read last year’s winning essays and watch the video readings here.
Experience Inside Out 2022 online - Jefferson's student-led arts & literary magazine
The work of a 26-member student editorial team and 43 student contributors merged to produce the newly-minted 2022 edition of Inside Out. We are moved by the range of media, content, and creativity enclosed in these pages! Explore the online PDF here. If you would like a physical copy of the magazine email Matilda Ostow, Humanities Program Coordinator.
Chief Editors: Amy Baumgart & Steven Bieser
Artistic Directors: Connor Crutchfield & Roselind Ni
Literary Directors: John Curran & Alice Wu
The Human Side of Healthcare: Mindful Self-Compassion - May 31*
The Human Side of Healthcare with Dr. Don Friedman
Session 1: Mindful Self-Compassion
Tuesday, May 31, 5-6:15 p.m., Online via Zoom (register here)
Open to Jefferson students in all colleges and programs
In patient care, it is so easy to focus on the breadth of medical knowledge and the technology available today that we can easily ignore the human side of what we do as physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals when we interact with our patients. To examine this aspect of clinical care, these sessions will explore the humanity behind the practice of medicine from the patient perspective and from the healthcare professional perspective as well. The five sessions will focus on either different aspects of patient and practitioner interactions or the concept of self-care as a practice that can sustain us in our work and help find meaning in what we do.
There is no required reading and no commitment to all 5 sessions, but hopefully everyone interested will attend as many sessions as possible to gain a general perspective on this topic. Each 75 minute session will involve a 20-minute discussion at the beginning, 25-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute discussion. The course is open to medical and nursing students and students in other allied health departments at Thomas Jefferson University.
The Human Side of Healthcare Series Overview
Tuesdays, 5-6:15 p.m., May 31, June 7, 14, 21, & 28, Online via Zoom
*If you would like to receive credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate, please fill out this attendance form after the event. All event attendance forms can be found in their respective event listings or on Canvas.
The Human Side of Healthcare: Spirituality and Healthcare - June 7*
The Human Side of Healthcare with Dr. Don Friedman
Session 2: Spirituality and Healthcare
Tuesday, June 7, 5-6:15 p.m., Online via Zoom (register here)
Open to Jefferson students in all colleges and programs
In patient care, it is so easy to focus on the breadth of medical knowledge and the technology available today that we can easily ignore the human side of what we do as physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals when we interact with our patients. To examine this aspect of clinical care, these sessions will explore the humanity behind the practice of medicine from the patient perspective and from the healthcare professional perspective as well. The five sessions will focus on either different aspects of patient and practitioner interactions or the concept of self-care as a practice that can sustain us in our work and help find meaning in what we do.
There is no required reading and no commitment to all 5 sessions, but hopefully everyone interested will attend as many sessions as possible to gain a general perspective on this topic. Each 75 minute session will involve a 20-minute discussion at the beginning, 25-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute discussion. The course is open to medical and nursing students and students in other allied health departments at Thomas Jefferson University.
The Human Side of Healthcare Series Overview
Tuesdays, 5-6:15 p.m., May 31, June 7, 14, 21, & 28, Online via Zoom
*If you would like to receive credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate, please fill out this attendance form after the event. All event attendance forms can be found in their respective event listings or on Canvas.
The Human Side of Healthcare with Dr. Don Friedman
Session 3: Characteristics of Effective Practitioners and a Discussion of the Differences Between Curing and Healing
Tuesday, June 14, 5-6:15 p.m., Online via Zoom (register here)
Open to Jefferson students in all colleges and programs
In patient care, it is so easy to focus on the breadth of medical knowledge and the technology available today that we can easily ignore the human side of what we do as physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals when we interact with our patients. To examine this aspect of clinical care, these sessions will explore the humanity behind the practice of medicine from the patient perspective and from the healthcare professional perspective as well. The five sessions will focus on either different aspects of patient and practitioner interactions or the concept of self-care as a practice that can sustain us in our work and help find meaning in what we do.
There is no required reading and no commitment to all 5 sessions, but hopefully everyone interested will attend as many sessions as possible to gain a general perspective on this topic. Each 75 minute session will involve a 20-minute discussion at the beginning, 25-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute discussion. The course is open to medical and nursing students and students in other allied health departments at Thomas Jefferson University.
The Human Side of Healthcare Series Overview
Tuesdays, 5-6:15 p.m., May 31, June 7, 14, 21, & 28, Online via Zoom
*If you would like to receive credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate, please fill out this attendance form after the event. All event attendance forms can be found in their respective event listings or on Canvas.
The Human Side of Healthcare: Perfectionism, Shame, and the Inner Critic - June 21*
The Human Side of Healthcare with Dr. Don Friedman
Session 4: Perfectionism, Shame, and the Inner Critic
Tuesday, June 21, 5-6:15 p.m., Online via Zoom (register here)
Open to Jefferson students in all colleges and programs
In patient care, it is so easy to focus on the breadth of medical knowledge and the technology available today that we can easily ignore the human side of what we do as physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals when we interact with our patients. To examine this aspect of clinical care, these sessions will explore the humanity behind the practice of medicine from the patient perspective and from the healthcare professional perspective as well. The five sessions will focus on either different aspects of patient and practitioner interactions or the concept of self-care as a practice that can sustain us in our work and help find meaning in what we do.
There is no required reading and no commitment to all 5 sessions, but hopefully everyone interested will attend as many sessions as possible to gain a general perspective on this topic. Each 75 minute session will involve a 20-minute discussion at the beginning, 25-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute discussion. The course is open to medical and nursing students and students in other allied health departments at Thomas Jefferson University.
The Human Side of Healthcare Series Overview
Tuesdays, 5-6:15 p.m., May 31, June 7, 14, 21, & 28, Online via Zoom
*If you would like to receive credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate, please fill out this attendance form after the event. All event attendance forms can be found in their respective event listings or on Canvas.
The Human Side of Healthcare: Medicine as Soul Work - June 28*
The Human Side of Healthcare with Dr. Don Friedman
Session 5: Medicine as Soul Work
Tuesday, June 28, 5-6:15 p.m., Online via Zoom (register here)
Open to Jefferson students in all colleges and programs
In patient care, it is so easy to focus on the breadth of medical knowledge and the technology available today that we can easily ignore the human side of what we do as physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals when we interact with our patients. To examine this aspect of clinical care, these sessions will explore the humanity behind the practice of medicine from the patient perspective and from the healthcare professional perspective as well. The five sessions will focus on either different aspects of patient and practitioner interactions or the concept of self-care as a practice that can sustain us in our work and help find meaning in what we do.
There is no required reading and no commitment to all 5 sessions, but hopefully everyone interested will attend as many sessions as possible to gain a general perspective on this topic. Each 75 minute session will involve a 20-minute discussion at the beginning, 25-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute discussion. The course is open to medical and nursing students and students in other allied health departments at Thomas Jefferson University.
The Human Side of Healthcare Series Overview
Tuesdays, 5-6:15 p.m., May 31, June 7, 14, 21, & 28, Online via Zoom
*If you would like to receive credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate, please fill out this attendance form after the event. All event attendance forms can be found in their respective event listings or on Canvas.
Art for the Healer at Fleisher Art Memorial - July 5 through 26
Art for the Healer
Tuesdays, July 5-26, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Fleisher Art Memorial (register here)
Please note: This program is open to all Jefferson health professions students as a non-credit extracurricular activity; please only register for this program if you can commit to attending all of the sessions. if you are a Sidney Kimmel Medical College student, you have the option of completing this program for course credit for JMD 252: Humanities Selectives.
Our popular Art for the Healer program with Fleisher Art Memorial returns this summer, hosted on Fleisher's Bella Vista campus! Designed for Jefferson's health professions students, the program provides a four-week introduction to the visual principals and elements of art and design.
Informed by Bauhaus Vorkurs pedagogy and maintaining an emphasis on observation, the course introduces students to technical skills in different media while encouraging intuitive self-expression. Lessons are tailored to serve healthcare professionals particularly, encompassing goals of increasing empathy, strengthening crucial perceptual skills, and studying anatomical structures.
Course Outline
Classes will take place on Fleisher Art Memorial’s campus: 719 Catharine St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
July 5 - July 26, Tuesday evenings, 6:30-9:30 p.m. (4 evening sessions plus one visit to the Rodin Museum on a Friday or Saturday)
*Events marked with an asterisk can be counted toward the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate for Jefferson students. Learn more and register here.
^Events marked with an upward arrow can be counted toward the Anti-Racism in Health Focus, a subset of the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate. Learn more here.
Please note: Events are added to the calendar as they are confirmed. Please check regularly for additional events.
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Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.