The History of Medicine
The history of medicine is taught in the HPS program as part of a major in the Bachelor of Arts, and also as part of the Medical Humanities program that is supported by both the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences. Professor Janet McCalman has a joint appointment in both faculties.
Principal areas of specialisation include: cutting-edge cultural history of medicine; medical thought and racial theorising; interdisciplinary history of psychiatry; and historical epidemiology reconstructing the long-run health experience of poor Australians and Aboriginal Australians (undertaken in collaboration with the Centre for Health and Society).
The medical humanities program is open to students in all faculties, including medical students undertaking their Advanced Medical Science year and International Study Abroad students interested in a pre-med program. The Johnstone-Need Unit for the History of Medicine crosses the two faculties and provides a virtual home for the history of medicine at the University of Melbourne
Subjects:
First Year:
Prof Janet McCalman
An introductory subject to both history of disease and medicine and environmental history
2nd/3rd Year:
- 136-029 Darwinism
- 136-039 Medicine: From Magic To Microbes
Prof Janet McCalman
- 136-210 Minds and Madness
4th Year (honours):
- 136-528 Disease and Culture
Dr James Bradley
Students may also enroll in a master's level subject in The Centre for Health and Society as a 4th or 5th year studies.
- 505-406/506 Health, Civilization and the State
Prof Janet McCalman