Arts and Humanities Program

The Arts and Humanities Program at Stanford University School of Medicine is a resource for students, staff and members of the community interested in the intersections between the arts, humanities and medicine. Medical students may apply for research grants in the Arts and Humanities Medical Scholars Program. This site also contains information about relevant events, courses, and degree programs at Stanford University. We are interested in your ideas and feedback about this site and the program. Please contact us.

Theoretical Background to the Program

The role of medicine in society continues to grow more complex with manifold advances in diagnostics and therapeutics and the ever-rising cost of such care. Despite the high technology emphasis in modern medicine, the medical enterprise remains a human one-one human being caring for another. Physicians need to understand not only the science of medicine, but also the contextual implications of illness and therapeutic interventions for the individual patient.

The interdisciplinary field of medical humanities both recognizes the human basis of medicine and attempts to critically evaluate various aspects of the culture of medicine. Disciplines such as history, art, literature, philosophy, music, cultural studies, dramaturgy, and languages provide new insights into the medical enterprise and the means to critically study illness and health from fresh perspectives. Such reflections can enrich our understanding of the meaning of doctoring, patient experiences, and the doctor-patient relationship. The Arts and Humanities Medical Scholars Program encourages proposals in which the methods and/or content of the project reside in the domain of humanities/arts. The program does not fund social sciences projects, such as studies in psychology, socioeconomics nor advocacy.

The location of the School of Medicine on the main campus provides potential opportunities for interdisciplinary studies utilizing the vast resources of Stanford University. The School of Humanities and Sciences, the Cantor Arts Center, and the Center for Biomedical Ethics are some of the loci of outstanding academic scholarship that can provide resources for students interested in pursuing study in medical humanities.

Program Description

The program will provide academic credit (18 units) and financial support ($12,000) for students with a successful grant application. The grant and academic credit may be taken for one academic quarter full-time or divided among quarters with part-time academic credit; however, the amount cannot fall below one-fourth's worth of grant for any given quarter (i.e., 4 units credit; $3,000). With committee discretion, a student may be awarded one-half of a grant, but this will not be standard. Students should seek the advice of a financial aid advisor as to the details of how the grant/credit applies to any particular situation.

Travel Awards

The travel award program is under revision.  Please contact Audrey Shafer, MD at for current status.

Eligibility

Students in the MD program are eligible to apply for a grant. Students may not apply concurrently for other medical scholars program grants. Any project for which the student had received a medical scholars grant award must be completed prior to application for an arts and humanities scholars grant. Overlap of funding for one student for different medical scholars programs will not be allowed.

Students enrolled in PCM B/C courses are not eligible for grant awards. Students cannot simultaneously enroll in clerkships and do an arts and humanities medical scholars project. However, a student who is planning a break from clerkships may submit a grant proposal for that time period. Any student who has already taken PCM B/C must provide written approval from an Associate Dean of Student Affairs/Education with the grant application.