The B.A. in Health, Medicine, and Society provides students interested in healthcare and health professions with a holistic understanding of illness, wellness, and disease. Given the increasingly diverse population, there is a growing demand for professionals who understand not only the science behind illness but the broader social context that impacts health as well. Students in the HMS program will master both, completing coursework that informs them on anatomy, physiology, and pathology in addition to coursework that addresses identity, culture, and ethics.
Our faculty have a wide breadth of expertise and can prepare students for a variety of careers related to health and healthcare. With six different content areas within the major, HMS offers students the flexibility to pursue their own specific area of interest, such as ethics, global health, mental and community health, or law and healthcare justice.
We invite you to explore these pages to learn more about our academic programs, courses, faculty, and opportunities for experiential learning.
HMS majors seeking to attend medical school after graduating may choose to take the traditional pre-medicine track. This track fulfills all the course requirements for medical schools, in addition to health-related courses in the social sciences and humanities that can distinguish candidates in the application process. The American Association of Medical Colleges encourages more liberal arts education for individuals preparing for careers in the medical field.
HMS majors take courses from a number of different content areas, and may choose to specifically focus on one, based on their own particular interests. Click on the links below to view course offerings in each content area.
1. Health Policies, Politics, and the Law
2. Social and Cultural Health Behaviors
3. Intersectionality and Health Justice
4. History, Ethics, and Medicine
5. Global Health and Communications 6. Health, Gender, and Sexuality
Registration Information
New/First Year students should explore the links on the following three pages for information on the curriculum and how to register:
2. Choosing your first-semester courses
3. Registering for classes and FAQs
Health, Medicine, and Society B.A., Curriculum
3. Sample four-year plan with ease-in pre-medicine track
4. Sample four-year plan with traditional pre-medicine track
Mental Health Awareness Certificate:
Completion of this Certificate can allow for overlap in the Health, Medicine, and Society Content Areas!
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certificate:
Completion of this Certificate can allow for overlap in the Health, Medicine and Society Content Areas!
Spanish Language for Medical Professionals Graduate Certificate:
Completion of these two courses will also fulfill elective requirements in the Global Health and Communications Content Area!
Gender & Society Micro-Credential Program:
Completion of this Badge program can allow for overlap in the Health, Medicine, and Society Content Areas, in particular the areas of Health, Gender, and Sexuality and Intersectionality and Health Justice.
Opportunities in Biomedical Research
Clinical research is a type of medical research that involves studying people, tissues, or samples to understand health and disease. The goal of clinical research is to improve health care and health by developing new ways to detect, diagnose, treat, and prevent disease.
Translational research is a systems-based approach to applying research findings to improve human health and well-being. It involves moving basic scientific discoveries into practice more quickly and efficiently.
Basic research, also called pure research, fundamental research, basic science, or pure science, is a type of scientific research with the aim of improving scientific theories for better understanding and prediction of natural or other phenomena.
I. Research opportunities in healthcare, biomedical sciences, and medicine
III. NIH Office of Intramural Training and Education Summer Internship Program (SIP)
Opportunities for Clinical Experience
Clinical experience is an umbrella term used to refer to both shadowing and direct patient care experience. These experiences help inform your career choices and show prospective employers and professional schools that you have “tried out,” and are committed to the field you’re interested in pursuing.
Shadowing
Shadowing is when you follow a healthcare professional during their work day. This is a great introduction to your desired field, and it also provides you with rudimentary clinical experience. Shadowing enables you to to accumulate knowledge and experience, understand the varied roles and parts of a healthcare team, and observe provider-patient interaction. The easiest way to gain shadowing experience is to draw on your own network and connections in the field. For example, you can start by asking any doctors you regularly see, such as your primary care provider or gynecologist.
Direct Patient Care
Direct patient care is when you interact, one-on-one, with patients and/or you are involved in the direct administration of healthcare. There are many different avenues through which people can garner direct patient care experience, such as volunteering at local clinics and hospitals.
I. Connecticut River Valley Farmworker Health Program Internship
Graduates with a degree in Health, Medicine, and Society are well-positioned for a wide variety of careers. Health professionals with undergraduate degrees in HMS programs perform as well as those with pure science backgrounds but have better empathy and communication skills, and a more patient-centered outlook.
Healthcare
Possible career paths include
- Medicine
- Dentistry
- Optometry
- Podiatry
- Pharmacy
- Veterinary medicine
- Occupational therapy/physical therapy
- Medical technology
- Nuclear medicine
- Healthcare support and administration (medical scribe; medical secretary; patient advocate; home health aide; phlebotomist; occupational/physical therapy aide; medical assistant; medical services manager; patient care coordinator)
- Rehabilitation
- Community health worker
Possible employers include
- Group or private practice
- Hospitals
- Clinics
- Health networks
- Nursing homes
- Rehabilitation centers
- Mental health institutions
- Federal, state, and local health departments
- Government agencies (National Institutes of Health; Centers for Disease Control)
- Armed services
- Correctional facilities
- Colleges or universities
- Professional schools: colleges of pharmacy, dentistry, medicine, veterinary medicine, and agriculture
- Large corporations
Research and Development
Possible career paths include
- Basic and applied research
- Administration
- Grant-writing
Possible employers include
- Industry and laboratories: pharmaceutical, healthcare, agriculture, food processing and safety, environmental, biotechnology
- Private research institutions
- Public health departments
- Colleges and universities
- State and federal government: National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration
- Healthcare
Education
Possible career paths include
- Elementary, Secondary, Post-secondary teaching
- Non-classroom education
Possible employers include
- K-12 schools
- Community colleges/technical institutes
- Museums
- Zoos
- Nature centers and parks
Legislation/Law
Possible career paths include
- Lobbying
- Regulatory affairs
- Environmental law
- Health law
- Healthcare advocacy
- Public health policy
- Science policy
- Social welfare policy
- Patent law
- Nonprofit or public interest
- Mediation
Possible employers include
- Law firms
- Hospitals and Health Management Organizations
- Corporations
- State and federal government
- Department of Energy
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Environmental compliance services companies
- Regulatory commissions
- Advocacy organizations
- Professional school: colleges of law
Business/Industry
Possible career paths include
- Technical and pharmaceutical sales
- Healthcare management
- Consulting
- Marketing
Possible employers include
- Manufacturing companies
- Pharmaceuticals
- Medical device and equipment
- Marketing firms
- Consulting firms
- Food science
- Health Management Organizations
Communications
Possible career paths include
- Technical writing
- Editing
- Illustrating
- Photography
- Public relations
Possible employers include
- Publishing companies: Scientific magazines, professional journals, periodicals, textbooks, and online publishers
- Newspapers
- Educational and scientific software companies
- Zoological and environmental societies
- Medical, dental, and veterinary colleges
- Research centers
- Federal government agencies
- Related nonprofit organizations
- Museums
