Augustana College is creating a new degree program to help pre-med students understand the social, psychological, and spiritual needs of their future patients. The minor will combine science and humanities classes with an internship at UnityPoint Health.
Augustana Philosophy Professor Heidi Storl co-created the new minor with History Professor Brian Leech. Storl says the pandemic has made the need for a minor like this more apparent.
“Communities come at this virus with different perspectives, and it is the tools and the skillset that the liberal arts provide that allow us to most effectively serve the needs of the persons who suffer from this virus.”
The minor isn’t just for Augustana’s aspiring doctors. Storl says students interested in health care law and administration can enroll and get work experience at UnityPoint Health.
“This is an opportunity for our students to give back to the local community. Most of our current internships take students away from the Quad Cities community, but this is one that is here, it’s at home, and it allows these students to give back.”
The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded Augustana College nearly $35,000 to plan the new degree program. It will be offered in the fall of 2023.
