Department of Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt

The Department of Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt is an interdisciplinary program that investigates the political, cultural, economic, demographic, and biological factors that impact health. Drawing on a structural competency framework and courses in the medical sciences, humanities, and social sciences, this innovative interdisciplinary program transcends the traditional biomedical approach to understanding health and illness. Undergraduate: The MHS Major began with only 40 students in 2005; it now has nearly 600 and is one of the most popular pre-med majors at Vanderbilt. Through immersive coursework, collaborative research, service learning, and internships, MHS students connect to real world health problems, learn to think critically about social issues that impact health, and devise effective strategies for targeting health care challenges. Graduate: MHS offers an M.A. in the Social Foundations of Health through two graduate programs. The first, open to current Vanderbilt undergraduates, offers students the opportunity to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in just five years of study through Vanderbilt’s 4+1 BA/MA program. Our second program, a one-year M.A. degree, is open to prospective students nationwide and emphasizes interdisciplinary research and critical perspectives on health and illness. Both are aimed at students who want to gain research experience, enhance their interdisciplinary training, and strengthen their applications before entering medical or professional school or seeking entry to doctoral programs. Courses are taught by leading experts in interdisciplinary health approaches from anthropology, sociology, history, gender studies, psychology, neuroscience, public health, disability and design studies, and health humanities