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Leadership

Department of Social Medicine

Overview and Application Process

The Scholarly Concentration Program in Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS) provides the opportunity for UNC medical students to pursue mentored advanced academic work in one or more HSS fields—including: philosophy of medicine/medical ethics; history of medicine; anthropology or sociology of medicine; health care politics and policy; social epidemiology, health equity and disparities; health services research; law and medicine; literature and medicine; medical STS (science, technology, and society); gender/sexuality studies and medicine; disability studies; postcolonial studies of medicine; and creative artistic studies of medicine with analytical, interpretive, and/or critical dimensions. Successful completion of the Concentration Program confers an academic distinction.

New applications to the Humanities and Social Sciences scholarly concentration program will be accepted on a rolling basis, from a limited number of students per class year, only if they have already arranged an HSS elective (see below).  Applications should include a 1-page explanation of HSS interests and background, and elective plans, including the name of the faculty member who has agreed to serve as preceptor.  Students may discuss interest in the HSS scholarly concentration, or ideas for projects/preceptors, with their SHS instructors, or with Dr. Saunders or Dr. Estroff, HSS scholarly concentration directors, after reviewing overview documents for the HSS scholarly concentration and for SOCM electives.
Please read:  Overview

Program Structure and Highlights

Program Requirements

  • Students will complete at least 6 hours of elective work or course work in an HSS area supervised by a faculty member affiliated with the concentration.  This will involve a scholarly project with a final presentation, or paper, or both.
  • Students will document a least 2 longitudinal scholarly engagements with HSS

Social Medicine (SOCM) Elective Notes for Students

Student progress within the HSS Scholarly Concentration will be reviewed annually by the Concentration Committee, and reports made to students’ advisors. Final certification of academic success within the HSS Scholarly Concentration Program will be made by April 1 prior to graduation, by a quorum of the HSS Concentration Committee. Certification will be based on: coursework evaluations (including narrative evaluations in SHS courses and HSS elective/s); consultation with faculty advisers of pertinent student interest groups; review of scholarly portfolio; a final interview with members of the Concentration faculty.

Suggestions for Humanities Framing of Artistic/Creative Projects

Spring Symposium

2019 Presentation Agenda

2020 Presentation Agenda

2021 Presentation Agenda

2022 Presentation Agenda

2023 Presentation Agenda Part 1  &  2023 Presentation Agenda Part 2

2024 Presentation Agenda