TOPICS:WHY DO WE GET SICK ? A MEDICAL HISTORY in Fall 2019 (SC2091B)

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Course Master: 
TOPICS IN SCIENCE (SC2091)
Term: 
Fall 2019
Discipline: 
SC (Science)
Credits: 
4 credits
Type: 
Regular
Level: 
Undergraduate
Can be taken twice for credit?: 
Yes
Cross Listed: 
TOPICS:WHY DO WE GET SICK ? A MEDICAL HISTORY in Fall 2019 (HI2091B)
Exam Date: 
Friday, December 13, 2019 - 08:30
Pre-requisites: 
None
Co-requisites: 
None

Professor(s)

Albert Wu
Elena Berg

Notes

Why do we get sick? What causes the ailments we suffer from today, and what treatments have we developed to solve these problems? In this course we will embark on a journey through medical history, from early human origins to the present. We'll consider the conditions in which our early human ancestors evolved and how our past has helped shape the health challenges we face today. In this fully team-taught course, you will become immersed in the history of science and medicine by tackling issues related to evolutionary biology, public health and disease, western medical practice, and alternative medicine.


Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyze, critique and interpret both secondary and primary sources, through individual reading and writing and through group seminar discussion.
  2. Evaluate different arguments, facts and opinions, and build and defend their own arguments.
  3. Communicate ideas more clearly and persuasively through writing and speaking.
  4. Find, evaluate, and organize different forms of scientific and historical evidence to address questions about human health.
  5. Understand the broad historical context of western and non-western medical traditions.
  6. Explore the potential and limitations of science in helping us to understand human health.
  7. Critically evaluate the media’s portrayal of human health in light of scientific and historical evidence.

Syllabus

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Book List

TitleAuthorPublisherISBN Number
The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease
Lieberman, Daniel
Vintage
978-0307741806
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Skloot, Rebecca
Broadway Books
9781400052189
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Mukherjee, Siddartha
Scribner
9781439170915

Schedule

Start Date: 
Monday, September 2, 2019
End Date: 
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
DayStart TimeEnd TimeRoom
Tuesday
10:35
11:55
SD-1
Friday
10:35
11:55
SD-1