Life Sciences Commons^™

The Importance Of Social Science In Biomedical Education, Kathryn Asalone

Honors College

This study proposes an intervention in undergraduate education that could enhance doctor-patient interactions. This intervention would provide evidence, to pre-medical students, that social science training is important during medical school. Semi-structured interviews were conducted of six doctors from hospitals in the Maine. The goal was to determine whether or not taking more social science courses during an MD’s undergraduate education would result in better reported doctor satisfaction with their patient interactions. The interview questions were designed to encourage doctors to explain how they interact with patients and coworkers and to describe their undergraduate education. This information and the impressions that …