Medical Humanities

Medical Humanities is a multidisciplinary branch of medicine that includes the study of philosophy, history, religion, social sciences and the arts, then draws from these disciplines to help inform medical education, policy and practice.

Welcome

Welcome to the Department of Medical Humanities at SIU Medicine. Our role is to ensure critical dialog about health, health care and the human condition.

Our interdisciplinary team takes insights from the broad spectrum of humanities and applies them holistically and comprehensively to the teaching, research and service endeavors of our organization. We provide students, residents and faculty with knowledge of the humanities, encourage scholarly activity, and bridge the gap between humanities and medical care to better support our community.

Our faculty

The faculty at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine is focused on educating the region's top physicians, researching new models of care, and providing expert clinical services that address the health care needs of central and southern Illinois.

See the department

SIU School of Medicine Commencement 2022

Latest articles

'COVID Stories' will highlight local impacts & images from global pandemic

July 29, 2025

A series of Springfield-area events will bring moments from the global pandemic back into sharp focus this fall. ‘COVID Stories’ will provide both local and universal reflections on how we as a society adjusted when things went viral, literally.

Senator Durbin, SIU Medicine leaders express concerns about federal budget cuts

July 28, 2025

Health care leaders and Senator Dick Durbin gathered at SIU School of Medicine on July 25 to strongly denounce sweeping federal budget cuts to Medicaid, student loan support and medical research—pillars that sustain both local patient care and the next generation of physicians.

Finishing strong: 2020-25 Strategic Plan Progress Report

July 3, 2025

A new progress report has been published to outline the accomplishments that reflect the resilience, innovation and unwavering commitment of our entire SIU Medicine community.