Medical humanities
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
Undefined
Expected learning outcomes
Undefined
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Prerequisites for admission
No prerequisites required for admission
Assessment methods and Criteria
Training Module B - Progetto "Un metodo per il clinico"
Each student will undergo an oral examination consisting of a discussion of the subjects presented during the course lessons and reported in the course slides, which will be available to the student in the ARIEL teaching platform.
Training Module C - History of Medicine
Each student will upload on the ARIEL platform a text discussing a particular aspect of history of medicine chosen by the student. The text will be discussed by the student during the final oral examination concerning PARTS A, B, and C.
Each student will undergo an oral examination consisting of a discussion of the subjects presented during the course lessons and reported in the course slides, which will be available to the student in the ARIEL teaching platform.
Training Module C - History of Medicine
Each student will upload on the ARIEL platform a text discussing a particular aspect of history of medicine chosen by the student. The text will be discussed by the student during the final oral examination concerning PARTS A, B, and C.
Storia della medicina
Course syllabus
Medicine has a history: origins and meaning of Medicine and of the History of Medicine; sources for historical and medical study and research.
- Medicine in ancient Greece and Rome. Medieval Medicine; Knowing the body: Renaissance and animated anatomy. Latrofisica and Iatrochimica. Microscopic anatomy. The cell: from the first description to DNA technologies
- Enlightenment period and public health: occupational diseases, hygiene and preventive medicine, vaccine prophylaxis, orthopedics, humanitarian treatment of the mentally ill
- The birth of the Clinic and its tools: semiotics, diagnostics and therapy; Surgery problems and their resolution: analgesia, anesthesia, asepsis and antisepsis
The 20th century: new concepts, tools and therapies
Evolution and transformation of hospital places
- Medicine in ancient Greece and Rome. Medieval Medicine; Knowing the body: Renaissance and animated anatomy. Latrofisica and Iatrochimica. Microscopic anatomy. The cell: from the first description to DNA technologies
- Enlightenment period and public health: occupational diseases, hygiene and preventive medicine, vaccine prophylaxis, orthopedics, humanitarian treatment of the mentally ill
- The birth of the Clinic and its tools: semiotics, diagnostics and therapy; Surgery problems and their resolution: analgesia, anesthesia, asepsis and antisepsis
The 20th century: new concepts, tools and therapies
Evolution and transformation of hospital places
Teaching methods
Each university credit (CFU) consists of a number of hours devoted to teaching classes ("didattica formale") and innovative teaching ("didattica innovativa"). Innovative teaching consists of deepening selected topics, which are included into the course syllabus and are agreed with the students upon their request or the teacher's proposal.
Teaching is based on interactive classes, with both small group working and plenary sessions.
Teaching is based on interactive classes, with both small group working and plenary sessions.
Teaching Resources
- A. Porro A., Storia della medicina 1 (fino al XIX secolo), Rudiano, GAM, 2009
- A. Porro, B. Falconi, A.F. Franchini, Lezioni di Storia della Medicina 1, Rudiano, GAM, 2009
- A. Porro, C. Cristini, B. Falconi, A.F. Franchini, P. M. Galimberti, L. Lorusso, Lezioni di Storia della Medicina 2, Rudiano, GAM, 2011
- A. Porro, A. F. Franchini, C. Cristini, P.M. Galimberti, L. Lorusso, B. Falconi; Lezioni di Storia della Medicina 3. Gli strumenti, Rudiano, GAM, 2013
- A. Porro, B. Falconi, A.F. Franchini, Lezioni di Storia della Medicina 1, Rudiano, GAM, 2009
- A. Porro, C. Cristini, B. Falconi, A.F. Franchini, P. M. Galimberti, L. Lorusso, Lezioni di Storia della Medicina 2, Rudiano, GAM, 2011
- A. Porro, A. F. Franchini, C. Cristini, P.M. Galimberti, L. Lorusso, B. Falconi; Lezioni di Storia della Medicina 3. Gli strumenti, Rudiano, GAM, 2013
Filosofia della scienza
Course syllabus
· Illness world and healthcare within a wide cultural context
· Frail and vulnerable beings, relational roots, empathy and care: some characterizing factors of the "human condition" in our cultural and philosophical tradition
· The patient and his symptoms. A rational approach to their characterization: starting a journey to understand the "meaning" of a symptom, the shared choice of treatment plans, the meaning of "care" and "cure", the assessment and communication af a prognosis
· The discriminative value of a symptom, exploring patient beliefs
· patient symptoms: assessment and the inference on causal relationships with associated factors:
- Induction, deduction, abduction
- Causation
- Reverse causation errors
- Temporal relationships and post-hoc fallacy
- Causation logic: necessary conditions, sufficient conditions, causal complexes
- Excluding and confirming diagnostic hypotheses
· Some indicators useful to appraise the informative value of symptoms or clinical findings; the operational characteristics of a diagnostic test: sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, likelihood ratios, an introduction to Bayes' theorem
· Frail and vulnerable beings, relational roots, empathy and care: some characterizing factors of the "human condition" in our cultural and philosophical tradition
· The patient and his symptoms. A rational approach to their characterization: starting a journey to understand the "meaning" of a symptom, the shared choice of treatment plans, the meaning of "care" and "cure", the assessment and communication af a prognosis
· The discriminative value of a symptom, exploring patient beliefs
· patient symptoms: assessment and the inference on causal relationships with associated factors:
- Induction, deduction, abduction
- Causation
- Reverse causation errors
- Temporal relationships and post-hoc fallacy
- Causation logic: necessary conditions, sufficient conditions, causal complexes
- Excluding and confirming diagnostic hypotheses
· Some indicators useful to appraise the informative value of symptoms or clinical findings; the operational characteristics of a diagnostic test: sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, likelihood ratios, an introduction to Bayes' theorem
Teaching methods
Each university credit (CFU) consists of a number of hours devoted to teaching classes ("didattica formale") and innovative teaching ("didattica innovativa"). Innovative teaching consists of deepening selected topics, which are included into the course syllabus and are agreed with the students upon their request or the teacher's proposal.
Teaching is based on interactive classes, with both small group working and plenary sessions.
Teaching is based on interactive classes, with both small group working and plenary sessions.
Teaching Resources
- Jamison L. The empathy exams: Essays. Graywolf Press. 2011
- Halpern J. From detached concern to empathy. Humanizing medical practice. Oxford University Press. 2001
- Whitehead A, Woods A (ed). The Edinburgh companion to the critical Medical Humanities. Edinburgh University Press. 2016
- Wulff HR, Pedersen SA, Rosenberg R. Philosophy of medicine. Oxford: Blackwell scientific publications. 1991
- Wulff HR. Rational diagnosis and treatment. Oxford: Blackwell scientific publications. 1981
- Martin AR. Exploring patient beliefs. Steps to enhancing Physician-patient interaction. Arch Intern Med 1983;143:1773-5
- Edwards DAW. Defining vs. discriminating features. Proc Roy Soc Med. 1971;64:676-7
- Halpern J. From detached concern to empathy. Humanizing medical practice. Oxford University Press. 2001
- Whitehead A, Woods A (ed). The Edinburgh companion to the critical Medical Humanities. Edinburgh University Press. 2016
- Wulff HR, Pedersen SA, Rosenberg R. Philosophy of medicine. Oxford: Blackwell scientific publications. 1991
- Wulff HR. Rational diagnosis and treatment. Oxford: Blackwell scientific publications. 1981
- Martin AR. Exploring patient beliefs. Steps to enhancing Physician-patient interaction. Arch Intern Med 1983;143:1773-5
- Edwards DAW. Defining vs. discriminating features. Proc Roy Soc Med. 1971;64:676-7
Modules or teaching units
Filosofia della scienza
M-FIL/02 - LOGIC AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 24 hours
Lessons - Innovative Teaching: 13.5 hours
Lessons - Innovative Teaching: 13.5 hours
Professors:
Battezzati Pier Maria, Marazia Chantal
Storia della medicina
MED/02 - MEDICAL HISTORY - University credits: 1
Lessons: 12.5 hours
Professor:
Battezzati Pier Maria
Professor(s)