Medical Humanities Commons^™

The Dental Phantom As A Tool For Exploring Fear, The Face, And Dental Education, Christine Slobogin Phd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Dental phantoms have been used in dental education since the late nineteenth century. These pedagogical objects – particularly those from the first half of the twentieth century – have today enjoyed a resurgence of interest in the art and film worlds. After first outlining the history and pedagogical purposes of the dental phantom, this article examines what the artistic and filmic attractions to the aesthetics of these objects can tell us about fear, the mouth and the face, and dental education. How and why can a dental teaching tool be scary? Arriving at some answers to this question – reached …

A Dental Clinical Humanities Program At Uthealth Houston School Of Dentistry: The First Ten Years And Future Directions, Angela P. Gomez Edd, Mba, Ms, Deborah R. Franklin Dds, Lpc, Ctts, Nathan Carlin Phd, Joelle Robertson-Preidler Phd, Hec-C

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Dental Clinical Humanities Certificate Program was implemented 10 years ago at the UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry to expose dental students to dental humanities content and engage them in educational experiences exploring oral health care through humanities lenses, providing insight into the human condition and patient-centered approaches. With more than 30 students having graduated from the program, we conducted a retrospective analysis of the exit surveys previously distributed at the end of each academic year. The exit survey focused on their general program feedback, including the effects of dental humanities as an academic enterprise, cultivating their self-knowledge and serving …

The Pent-Up Demand For Humanities And Ethics In Dentistry, Nathan Carlin, Nanette Elster, Catherine Flaitz, Nicholas Mercado Drph, Ms, Laurie Munro, Chelsey Patten, Joelle Robertson-Preidler, Margie Hodges Shaw Jd, Ma, Phd, Christine Slobogin Phd, Matthew Wynia, Michael Yunker Dds

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Editorial is a feature in each issue of the JACD. It includes commentary on issue content, relevant topics, or other items of interest to the fellowship.

J Am Coll Dent 2026 92 2a

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This special issue of the Journal of the American College of Dentists responds to a growing but long-underrecognized demand for humanities and ethics in dental education, practice, and scholarship. It emerges from the work of the National Collaborative on Humanities and Ethics in Dentistry (NCHED), a multi-institutional partnership formed in 2023 to address the persistent exclusion of dentistry from broader health humanities conversations. Through national webinars and scholarly collaboration, NCHED has demonstrated substantial interest in ethical reflection, historical analysis, narrative inquiry, and the arts as essential to understanding oral health and dental care. The unexpectedly strong response to the call …

J Am Coll Dent 2026 92 2b

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This special issue of the Journal of the American College of Dentists responds to a growing but long-underrecognized demand for humanities and ethics in dental education, practice, and scholarship. It emerges from the work of the National Collaborative on Humanities and Ethics in Dentistry (NCHED), a multi-institutional partnership formed in 2023 to address the persistent exclusion of dentistry from broader health humanities conversations. Through national webinars and scholarly collaboration, NCHED has demonstrated substantial interest in ethical reflection, historical analysis, narrative inquiry, and the arts as essential to understanding oral health and dental care.

The unexpectedly strong response to the call …

Bodies Of Knowledge: The Accuracy Of Medical Anatomical Drawings From The 14th To The 18th Century, Marina G. Mitchell

Honors Undergraduate Theses

From the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries, European anatomical illustration underwent major transformations in response to changing scientific methods, technologies, and visual conventions, reflecting critical transitions in anatomical history. Scientific evolution allowed these images to achieve increasing structural precision and internal detail, though they frequently diverged from anatomical forms as they are understood today. This study examines how anatomical inaccuracies across five centuries emerged not from ignorance, but from deliberate mediation between purpose, observation, pedagogy, artistic convention, and cultural ideology. Through close analysis of works in visual comparison to their modern counterparts, this thesis identifies specific deviations from the twenty-first …

Health Literacy/Numeracy-Related Factors Affecting Interpretation In Medical Laboratory Values, Rachel L. Childs

School of Medical Diagnostics & Translational Sciences Publications

Background

Health literacy and numeracy are broad terms that relate to a patient’s understanding of their health information. While there is a substantial amount of research on this topic in a general sense as well as in relation to how deficiencies in these skills impact patients’ understanding of laboratory results, little is known regarding the extent to which underlying factors, which are impacted by health literacy/numeracy, affect how patients interpret their results. This literature review attempts to shed light on the current literature on this more focused and narrow issue, including recommendations to address these barriers.

Content

To perform this …

Practicing Dentistry And The Piano: Reflections On Coaching, Feedback, And The Humanities In Dental Education, Sarah E. Grafton Dmd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Dentistry is often described as both art and science, yet its pedagogy still leans heavily on technical instruction. Drawing on the author’s personal experience as a lifelong piano student, this paper explores the parallels between learning a musical instrument and developing clinical skills in dental education. Both domains require the integration of mind and hand, repeated practice, and feedback that transform mistakes into growth. Piano training illustrates that mastery emerges not from innate talent but from deliberate practice and the willingness to accept critique. This orientation provides a framework for understanding dental education as coaching rather than didactic instruction. Dental …

The Personal, Professional, And Practice: Integrating Health Humanities Into Dental Education, Margie Hodges Shaw Jd, Ma, Phd, Michael Yunker Dds, Nicholas Mercado Drph, Ms

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Dentistry’s evolution as a profession reflects both scientific progress and enduring tensions between commercial and service-oriented models of care. Despite long-standing commitments to ethical education, dental training continues to privilege technical mastery over professional identity formation, leaving some future practitioners underprepared for the ethical and relational complexities of clinical practice. This paper situates these challenges within the historical separation of dentistry and medicine and argues that integrating the health humanities into dental education can strengthen professional identity formation and clinical ethics competency. Using a case study, we demonstrate how biases, professional obligations, and patient trust intersect in practice. We introduce …

Implementation And Evaluation Of A Wellness Program In A First-Year Medical Student Anatomy Course, Gina R. Lepore, Gavin Turner, Benjamin Abramoff, Daniel Depietro, Nicole Robinson

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Cadaveric dissection is a central component to anatomy education. However, for many students, dissection can be emotionally taxing, highlighting a potential area for increased support. This project evaluated the implementation of a wellness program within a dissection-based anatomy course.

Methods: Throughout a 12-week first-year medical student anatomy course, two teaching assistants (TAs) served as “Wellness TAs” and implemented a structured wellness program that included weekly office hours, supportive emails to students that addressed emotionally challenging coursework, and scheduled “wellness breakfasts/snack breaks.” An anonymous survey was distributed following the course. The survey assessed demographics, perceptions of the anatomical …

Bridging Disability Studies And Nursing Education: A Curricular Intervention, Serena Karim

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Although one in four Americans experience disability in their lifetimes, the majority of nurses and other healthcare professionals feel ill-prepared to care for patients with disabilities (PWD). Factors such as inaccessible healthcare facilities, insufficient clinical knowledge, and biases about the quality of life of PWD contribute to mounting health inequities between PWD and non-disabled people. To further understand how education can impact nursing students’ comfortability and confidence toward caring for PWD, a 30-minute disability studies lesson was implemented for junior-level nursing students. 51 students who attended the lecture provided anonymous pre- and post-lecture surveys, which contained Likert scale and free …

A Cancer Haiku Triptych, Larry C. Driver

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

This trio of patient-inspired Haiku attempts to capture the joyful optimism of cancer-free life in the first pair of spring and summer, with a hint of transition in the second, and the final autumn into winter piece heralding the realization that smoldering cancer has flared-up with the possibility of the end of life.

Enhancing Cataract Surgery Outcomes: Optimal Use Of Pre- And Post-Operative Eye Drops, Keith Skolnick M.D., Anu Valiaveedu

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Many preoperative and postoperative cataract patients struggle with comprehending the use of prescription medication as directed. Language barriers and low health literacy levels are major factors contributing to improper use of prescriptions. To increase patients comprehension, the Fort Lauderdale Eye Institute employed an educational intervention consisting of a live presentation and an instructional video. Results found that 44% of patients were hesitant to ask questions to clinical staff, 32% felt overwhelmed, and nearly 70% lacked confidence in using their prescribed eye drops. Following the intervention, 91% of patients reported increased confidence in their medications, and most indicated that the video …

From Classroom To Workplace: Evaluating Communication Curriculum In Physician Assistant Education, Camryn G. Evett

Honors Thesis

Effective communication is a critical competency for physician assistants (PAs), impacting patient outcomes, interprofessional collaboration, and clinical decision-making. This paper explores the many communication challenges faced by PAs, including navigating supervisory relationships, clarifying scope of practice, building patient trust, and managing clinical interactions. It also examines how the national accrediting and certifying bodies such as the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), and professional organizations such as the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) shape communication training through formal standards. These frameworks influence curricular design, assessment methods, …

Cuerpos Que Hablan. Sensibilización Sobre La Violencia Ginecológica Y Obstétrica, Yamile Vargas Hernández, Carlota Castro Quintana, Sara Milena Niño Montero, Fabián Andrés Casallas Rojas

Ciencias de la Salud

Cuerpos que hablan. Sensibilización sobre la violencia ginecológica y obstétrica surge como producto de la investigación “Adaptación de la escala de la violencia obstétrica en la ruta integral de atención en salud, para la población materno perinatal colombiana” —avalada por la Universidad de Cundinamarca—, en la que participaron docentes o gestores del conocimiento y el aprendizaje de los programas de Psicología y de Enfermería, asociados a la Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Asimismo, pretende ser una herramienta para visibilizar la violencia ginecológica y obstétrica y mitigarla en el contexto colombiano. Es importante señalar que la información aquí consignada fue …

A Cancer Education Needs Assessment: Informing Middle-Aged Female Patients About The Relationships Between Obesity And Women’S Health Concerns In The Reproductive System, Breast, And Endometrial Health, Batul Mirza

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Obesity significantly impacts women’s health, particularly among middle-aged women, by increasing the risk of hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast, endometrial, and reproductive system cancers. This study examines the educational needs of this demographic group regarding obesity-related cancer risks and explores effective intervention strategies. Obesity-induced mechanisms – hormonal imbalances, chronic inflammation, and insulin resistance – drive cancer susceptibility, emphasizing the need for targeted health education. The study employs a qualitative design, which includes interviews with subject matter experts (SMEs) and surveys of middle-aged women. The goal is to assess awareness, perceived barriers, and preferred learning methods. Findings suggest that with many …

Enhancing Learning Through Role-Play In A Low-Fidelity Disaster Simulation, Susan S. Braithwaite, Susan J. Barcinas, Colleen A. Hayes

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

ABSTRACT

Background: This report shares a best practice approach to low-fidelity simulation as a pedagogical method in disaster triage training for undergraduate nursing students.

Methods: This study utilized multi-year quantitative data such as student age, gender, GPA, prior simulation experience, and self-reported confidence in the START Triage application. It also utilized a secondary qualitative analysis of the debriefing process.

Results: Students who participated in a simulation event playing the role of a disaster victim scored significantly higher on subsequent performance as TRIAGE practitioners than students without roleplay experience. Perhaps even more compelling, these learning outcomes were demonstrated 18 months after …

Food Insecurity In Adolescent Athletes, Andrew Donaldson, Shannon Margherio, Jay Roberson, Kevin Latz

Research Days

Background: The prevalence of food insecurity among children in the United States is estimated at 21%. Food insecurity during childhood leads to worse school performance, more emotional and behavioral health concerns, and increased suicide attempts. Further, food insecurity has been noted to have multiple deleterious effects on the collegiate student athlete, including lower GPA, disordered eating, and substance use.

Hypothesis: Food insecurity is prevalent in the adolescent athlete population and exists across demographics.

Methods: Voluntary surveys were distributed to parents at all sports medicine clinics at our institution. Demographic data was collected including athlete age, race, school and school district, …

Beyond The Label: Understanding And Addressing Occupational Stigma In Psychiatry, Mahesh Vasudevan, Madeeha Sheriff

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Introduction:Stigma is a social classification that devalues individuals or groups, and occupational stigma targets entire professions. Psychiatry is particularly affected, often viewed by the public and medical community as lacking scientific rigor and prestige. This negative perception has far-reaching consequences.

Methods:A narrative literature review was conducted to explore the scope, sources, and impact of occupational stigma toward psychiatrists. Peer-reviewed articles and professional resources published between 2002 and 2023 were selected based on relevance to psychiatric stigma, education, and public perception. Databases searched included PubMed, Google Scholar, and professional association websites using keywords such as “psychiatry stigma” and “psychiatrist …

Pathways Beyond Performance: How Curriculum Style Impacts Emotional Intelligence And Interpersonal Communication In Medical Students, Dan Yacubovich, Jonathan Tadros, Jennifer Fischer, Dana Zambito

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: Medical schools employ various curricula to foster medical knowledge and professional competencies. Emotional intelligence (EQ)—the capacity to manage emotions and interpersonal relationships—is essential in clinical care. While research links EQ to academic and communication skills in nursing and international medical students, limited data exist for U.S. medical students, particularly regarding curriculum type.

Objective: This study evaluates whether different curricula—Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Synergistic-Guided Learning (SGL)—are associated with differences in EQ and interpersonal communication skills (ICS) at Rowan-Virtua SOM.

Methods: EQ was measured using the MySkills Profile (EIQ16). ICS scores were derived from standardized patient encounters in the pre-clinical years. …

I Am (Me)Dicine: An Analysis On The Influence Of Humanities Courses Within The Construction Of Internal And External Identities Within Pre-Med Students At Uno, Alix Barnes

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The purpose of this project is to investigate how arts and humanities coursework may enhance the development of internal and external identities for premedical students beyond their traditional scientific coursework. A literature review shows positive findings on identity development and the influence of arts and humanities coursework on medical education. This investigation will take place through a mixed-method survey distributed to UNO premedical students and will explore themes of self-reflection, personal and professional growth, and understanding of external perspectives. An optional question prompts respondents to reflect further on their work within arts and humanities courses and their impact on these …

On Death And Disease: How Physicians’ Perspectives Compare Across Specialties Through Written Work, Stephanie Anne C. Alkonga

Honors Capstones

Narrative medicine is a tool that the medical field is increasingly utilizing to cultivate patient-centered and culturally competent doctors and to reflect on lived experiences through texts that focus on psychosocial best practices. This study aims to examine the language used in physician-written works that address how physicians in different medical specialties treat the aging and the terminally ill, and how they view the deceased. Qualitative data guided by thematic questions will primarily be used in the analysis and comparison of these texts’ tone, rhetoric, diction, and similar literary devices to uncover if certain patterns arise across such specialties. Findings …

Nurse-Physicians: From Nursing School To Practicing Physician, Tobias Fraedrich

Honors Scholar Theses

Nurse-physicians are healthcare professionals who have obtained both a nursing degree and a medical degree, transitioning from Registered Nurse (RN) or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) to a licensed physician, including Medical Doctor (MD), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), or Naturopathic Doctor (ND). Research on this phenomenon conducted to date is limited to a single study. Some nonresearch sources indicate a small presence of this topic online. Yin’s (2018) descriptive, multiple-case study approach was employed to investigate the phenomenon using oral history interviews and a survey of the online platform YouTube as data sources. For the intention of pursuing this …

Evaluating Surge Capacity In The Emergency Department: A Comprehensive Literature Review On Preparedness And Response Frameworks, Tanner J. Riscoe

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Medical surge capacity in emergency departments is influenced by four critical factors: staff, stuff, space, and systems. Understanding these factors and the interplay between them is critical. Emergency departments are increasingly encountering issues with overcrowding, patient boarding, and medical surge events causing interruptions in care and depleting critical resources. Coordination of medical surge is challenging during normal operations but is intensified during times of crisis. This comprehensive literature review seeks to better understand the current state of the literature surrounding surge preparedness and response in emergency departments across the United States, identify gaps in the current literature, and ultimately recommend …

Paradigm Shifts In Medicine, David Meza, James Peter Meza

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

Implications for history of science, scientific revolutions and paradigm shifts in the context of rapidly developing artificial intelligence.

Ai And Ot: Preparing Future-Ready Practitioners, Jensen R. Antilla, Nancy E. Krusen, Nicole Martino, Stacy Smallfield

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

This is an abstract from the Spotlight on Scholarship event in 2025.

Simulating Vascular Emergencies In Robotic Surgery: Preparing Ob-Gyn Residents For Surgical Complications, Jami Monico, Macy Thonen, Lindsey Mcalarnen

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

This is an abstract from the Spotlight on Scholarship event in 2025.

An Innovative Approach To Operating Room Simulation With Dental Hygiene Student Preparedness And Awareness: An Iexcel Interprofessional Pilot Project, Jane M. Broekemeier, Amanda Dolen, Lisa J. Moravec

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

This is an abstract from the Spotlight on Scholarship event in 2025.

Exposure Of Tracheostomy Education Well-Received During Pre-Clinical Head And Neck Physical Exam Course, Tony Satroplus, Jayme Dowdall, Chris Bingcang, Tony Richa, Katie Geelan-Hansen Md

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

This is an abstract from the Spotlight on Scholarship event in 2025.

Transitions Into Gme Program Leadership Roles In Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine: Opportunities For Improvement, Courtney Mclean, Jennifer M. Brady, Megan Gray, Erynn Bergner, C. Lydia Wraight

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

This is an abstract from the Spotlight on Scholarship event in 2025.