Medical Humanities Programme, ASKLEPIOS Programme, 15 ECTS
Aims of the Programme:
- Discussion and interaction of the students in the medical, humanistic and social science faculties of the university
- Introduction and comparison of the scientific methods of the medical, humanistic and social sciences
- Critical study of the different human concepts and needs of health and illness
Asklepios programme of the Medical Faculty, University of Turku, aims to induce and expand interactions between the undergraduate students of the medical, humanistic and social science faculties in the university. The programme provides a unique opportunity for these students to explore together the concepts and cultural dimensions of health and illness from a multidisciplinary perspective. An introduction course and four special study modules over a 1-year period are offered to survey relevant scientific issues of medicine, humanities and social sciences. The students also prepare an interdisciplinary research project.
The Programme has been organised and coordinated by the Faculty of Medicine and has been running since 2002. A special theme is selected for the Programme each year (Family in 2006-07, Different Health 2007-08, Suffering and Health 2008-09). Asklepios Programme comprises of symposiums, seminars and a research project. Each module has a tutor who organises the module and guides the students during the module. The students prepare learning diaries of each module which are assessed by the tutors.
Special study modules 2008-2009
Theme: Suffering and Health
Asklepios: Introduction Course (2 ECTS)
Asklepios I: Art and Suffering (3 ECTS)
Asklepios II: Values of Health (3 ECTS)
Asklepios III: Suffering, Disgrace and Medicine (3 ECTS)
Asklepios IV: Research Project (4 ECTS)
Yearly around 30 students are approved into the Programme. In the Medical Faculty the Programme forms a part of elective studies. Since the lecturers are from various fields of Medicine, Humanities and Social Sciences, the students are exposed to different views of human life, health and illness. The students are also encouraged to interdisciplinary debate and reasearch work.
A Selection of research projects
Jenni Meriläinen. Medical Humanities –web-based courses and attitudes of students to e-learning. 2004
Jere Virta. Grieving process and creativity in the poetry of Edith Södergranin through the eyes of psychiatry. 2004
Venla Lehti. Is treatment needed independent of will? 2005
Tuula Kokkonen. "Go to the museum – you live longer", Museums and cultural wellbeing. 2007
Elvi Soininen. I am alive! New meaning for experiences of illness. 2008
Evaluations
The Asklepios Programme is evaluated yearly through student and teacher feedback. Based on these responses, the planning group of the Programme, including representatives from the 3 faculties and professor of Medical Ethics, critically reconsiders the content and execution of the next cycle of the Programme.
The web-sites of the Asklepios Programme and use of other web-sources of Medical Humanities were evaluated among the programme students in 2004. Whereas the Programma web-sites were found to be good sources of information, possible use of web-based teaching in the Asklepios Programme was not considered desirable. In contrast, common discussions in the symposiums and seminars were favoured.
Asklepios Programme has been nominated as a Course of the Year in the University of Turku in 2006.
Publications
Kääpä P, Pelliniemi J, Puuronen A, Koulu M, Pyykkö R. ASKLEPIOS –Programme.
Man, Health and Culture – programme. Duodecim 2006;122(18):2233-7 (in Finnish)
Heikkola LM., Meriläinen J, Kääpä P. Asklepios-programme. A diary of a student. Duodecim 2006;122:1-4 (in Finnish)