About the Minor:

Basic info: The Medicine and Society Minor is housed in the Department of Science and Technology in Society at Virginia Tech, which is part of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. It is run through a collaboration of faculty in STS, History, and English, with help from the Honors Program.

What is it? The Medicine and Society (MSOC) minor is part of a field called medical humanities.  Focusing on the humanistic aspects of medical practice, pressing bioethical questions, and the subjective experience of illness and health, medical humanities provides an essential education for anyone curious about the role of medicine in past eras and contemporary culture.

Why take it? The MSOC minor is a great addition to a major in the life sciences; human nutrition, health, and exercise; biochemistry; or any other pre-med course of study. Undergraduate students who are planning to attend medical school are highly recommended to enroll in the MSOC minor.

What do you do? In MSOC courses, students study health, illness, and medical practices as they manifest in historical contexts and are influenced by cultural beliefs and traditions. 

Who is eligible to enroll? The minor is available to all undergraduates at Virginia Tech.  MSOC is ideal for students planning careers in medicine, as well as for science studies, bioethics, or public health policy.  MSOC complements majors in biology, chemistry, animal science, and HNFE.  The MSOC minor can also be used as part of the STS degree option in the Interdisciplinary Studies (IDST) major.

How do I get more information about the minor? More information about the minor, including syllabi for courses in the minor, is available in the Honors offices in Hillcrest Hall and in Professor Bernice Hausman's office (206 Shanks Hall). Most of the information you need is online in these pages. Professors Bernice Hausman (Enlgish) and Kathleen Jones (History) are serving as faculty advisors for the MSOC program. Professor Hausman advises students with last names A-M, while Professor Jones advises students with last names N-Z. For contact information, please click on the contact page link below.

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