Interdisciplinary Study of Health and Medicine
If you plan to go into a health-related field and want to develop a better understanding of the impact of health, illness, and medical care on individuals, families, and society, this interdisciplinary minor is just what you need on your resume. Whether you plan to be a care provider or a professional in the field of health policy, public health, health administration, or socio-medical research, this minor will prepare you to be more empathetic, culturally aware, and patient-centered. By exploring complex social issues you will develop cultural humility, learn to address health disparities, and become an informed and engaged global citizen — all while developing the critical thinking and communication skills that a wide range of employers and graduate programs are seeking.
Why UNE for your Minor in Health, Medicine, and Society
UNE’s minor in Health, Medicine, and Society allows you to broaden your understanding of health to investigate the social and cultural aspects of health and healing. It prepares you for the social science sections on the MCAT and teaches you to integrate societal perspectives into how you understand health care. With guidance from our dedicated faculty, the support of a close-knit group of students, and our curriculum’s emphasis on hands-on learning, you’ll graduate with a leg up in whatever next step in your academic or professional journey you take within the health care realm.
The minor will significantly impact my ability to practice as a future physician assistant. The depth of knowledge … will allow me to better treat patients of all cultural backgrounds … and … to ask more pressing questions in order to ensure the highest quality care for my patients.”
— Nicole Cacciola ’22, Medical Biology major/Psychology and Health, Medicine, and Society double minor
What will you study? Minor in Health, Medicine, and Society curriculum overview
Experiential Learning
At UNE, we believe in learning by doing. The Health, Medicine, and Society minor offers opportunities to perform hands-on work, helping prepare you with real-world experience that sets you up for professional success in whatever career path you pursue.
Classroom Activities
Our enthusiastic professors teach lively, engaging classes, featuring active learning activities that include:
- Reviewing medical cases to develop strategies to improve patient compliance
- Collecting illness narratives to explore the relationship between patients’ bodily experiences of disease and their social experiences of illness
- Analyzing internet-based health resources to explore how they influence health-seeking behaviors
Research
Conducting original research is a hands-on way to gain important skills and is impressive to graduate programs and future employers alike. The Health, Medicine, and Society minor can inform research on a wide range of health-related topics that overlap with a multitude of UNE majors. Research topics may include:
- The Intersections Between Training and Identification of Human Trafficking in Health Care Settings
- Racial Disparities in Maternal Mortality Rates in the U.S.
- Palliative Care’s Role in Patient-Centered Care
- The Social Construction of Mask Wearing in the COVID-19 Era
Internships
Combine your knowledge and skill in your major and minor while gaining real-world skills by interning in a professional setting. Internships provide on-the job experience that enhance your resume and increase your career prospects. Possible internship sites include:
- American Red Cross of Southern Maine
- Kennebunkport Public Health Department
- Planned Parenthood of Northern New England
- Healthcare for the Homeless
- Coastal Healthy Communities Coalition
- Hospice of Southern Maine
- Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine
Examples of Available Courses
As a Health, Medicine, and Society minor, you’ll complete a total of six courses, including five electives that cover a broad range of topics. The following are just some of the choices available:
- Medical Anthropology
- Plagues and Populations
- Medical Sociology
- Sociology of Food and Health
- Biomedical Ethics
- Global Health
Curriculum
To complete the minor in Health, Medicine, and Society students must complete six (6) three (3) credit courses in anthropology, sociology, and related social science or medically related disciplines. Also, four (4) of the total courses must be completed in anthropology or sociology. The electives may come from a variety of fields depending on the specific course. Students may count courses taken in the Core Curriculum as part of the minor. Students in Sociology or Applied Social and Cultural Studies may not count courses toward the major and the HMS minor. One (1) course must be taken at the 300- or 400-level.
| Select one (1) of the following | Credits |
|---|---|
| ANT 101 – Introduction to Anthropology | 3 |
| ANT 102 – Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| SOC 150 – Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| Total Credits | 3 |
| Select five (5) electives of the following with at least one (1) at the 300-level or above* | Credits |
|---|---|
| ANT 118 – Applied Anthropology | 3 |
| ANT 211 – Medical Anthropology | 3 |
| ANT 241 – Plagues and Populations | 3 |
| ANT 425 – Sex, Gender, Sexuality | 3 |
| OS 432 – Disability Studies and Inclusive Communities (Formerly HWOS 432) | 3 |
| PHI 201 – Biomedical Ethics | 3 |
| PSC 325 – Politics and Public Health | 3 |
| PSY 250 – Human Life Span Development | 3 |
| PSY 325 – Psychology of Aging | 3 |
| PSY 370 – Drugs, Society, and Behavior | 3 |
| PUB 200 – Foundations in Public Health | 3 |
| SOC 224 – Family, Health, and Social Change | 3 |
| SOC 228 – Sociology of Aging | 3 |
| SOC 275 – Sociology of Food and Health | 3 |
| SOC 355 – Medical Sociology | 3 |
| Total Credits | 15 |
| Minimum Total Required Credits | 18 |
|---|
*Other courses can be substituted with the permission of the academic director.
For more information see the Academic Catalog.
Find your career
Encompassing anthropological, sociological, psychological, and political science investigations of health and illness, the Health, Medicine, and Society minor prepares you for a myriad of careers that directly or indirectly relate to health or medicine. You will be well-practiced for the social science sections on the MCAT and well-situated to apply to medical school or other health-focused graduate programs.
The minor will enhance your graduate school and/or employment prospects if you plan to go into any of the following fields:
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Pharmacy
- Dentistry
- Dental Hygiene
- Nutrition
- Social Work
- Health Care Administration
- Public Health
- International Aid
| Pair a Health, Medicine, and Society Minor With a UNE Major in | To Become |
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Health, Medicine, and Society Careers by the Numbers
average annual salary of a medical sociologist
average annual salary of a medical anthropologist
Contact
Undergraduate Admissions
Contact Undergraduate Admissions at (800) 477-4863 or email admissions@une.edu. You can also stop by our office on the Biddeford Campus Monday–Friday from 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.