Medical Humanities Summer School 2021

The Medical Humanities Summer School 2021 brought together eighteen school and undergraduate students from the UK and the USA for an interactive online experience from Monday 12 to Friday 16 July 2021.

Oxford’s top academics introduced the interface between clinical medicine and narrative, philosophy, law, ethics, gender studies, hierarchies, history (including history of the emotions), art history, theatre (body language; spatial dynamics), theology, management, observation (visual and linguistic), compassion, and boundaries.


DateOverview

Monday 12 July

Day 1: On Observation, interpretation, communication

12:30 to 13:00
Session 1: Preliminary tutorials

14:00 to 15:30 (90-minute session in one continuous unit as follows)
Session 2: Welcome: meet the team + icebreaking (14:00 to 14:30)
‘What is Medical Humanities?’; rationale of summer school; How to Diagnose Anything (Not Just Illness) (14:30 to 15:30)

15:30 to 16:00: Long refreshment break

16:00 to 16:45
Session 3: Roundtable on language, power, communication.

16:45 to 17:00: Short refreshment break

17:00 to 18:00
Session 4 Virginia Woolf and the Language of Pain; Workshop on doctor-patient interaction

Tuesday 13 July

Day 2: Professionalism

12:30 to 13:00
Session 1: Tutorial Sessions

13:00 to 14:00
Lunch

14:00 to 14:45
Session 2: Self-awareness and professionalism: a framework for medicine

14:45 to 15:15
Refreshment break

15:15 to 16:00
Session 3: The Professions through different lenses

16:00 to 16:30
Refreshment break

16:30 to 17:15
Session 4: ‘Laws’ for life as a medical professional

Wednesday 14 July

Day 3: Values

12:30 to 13:00
Session 1: Tutorial Sessions

13:00 to 14:00
Lunch

14:00 to 15:00
Session 2: Communicating health

15:00 to 15:30: Long refreshment break

15:30 to 16:15
Session 3: Values-based practice

16:15 to 16:30
Refreshment break

16:30 to 17:00
Session 4: Black swans and surgery

17:00 to 17:15
Short refreshment break

17:15 to 18:00
Session 5: Does healthcare need managing?

Thursday 15 July

Day 4: Ethical issues

12:30 to 13:00
Session 1: Tutorial Sessions:

13:00 to 14:00
Lunch

14:00 to 15:00
Session 2:Transplantation (14:00 to 14:30)
The Tuskegee experiment (14:30 to 15:00)

15:00 to 15:30
Refreshment break

15:30 to 16:30
Session 3: Decolonising Medical Humanities

16:30 to 17:00
Refreshment break

17:00 to 18:00
Session 4 ‘Can we make decisions when we’re desperate?’ (17:00 to 17:30)
The Use of Force (17:30 to 18:00)

Friday 16 July

Day 5: The global

12:30 to 13:00
Session 1: Tutorial Sessions:

13:00 to 14:00
Lunch

14:00 to 15:00
Session 2: The moral machine experiment

15:00 to 15:30
Refreshment break

15:30 to 16:30
Session 3: What is happiness or wellbeing? - constructing a survey questionnaire

16:30 to 17:00
Refreshment break

17:00 to 18:00
Session 4: Narrative Medicine: what does telling stories do for health?

18:00 to 18:10
Short break

18:10 to 18:30
Session 5: Wrapping up: closing remarks, awards, certificates, feedback

View the full Medical Humanities Summer School 2021 programme (PDF), including further information on each session, guest speakers and more.

More information: gtcmdlit@gtc.ox.ac.uk


Congratulations to all of the @gtcball2026 survivors 🪼🫧🪸🧜🌊✨
From the ocean floor to the dance floor 🌊🪸🫧💙🧜 🐙🪼

We had an incredible evening at the Nautilus Ball! @gtcball2026
The Radcliffe Observatory is having a conservation makeover...

Behind the printed wrap is a complex network of poles and platforms, giving specialist teams access to every part of this remarkable building.

The Observatory is now undergoing a new phase of work that combines careful conservation of its historic fabric with major environmental upgrades.

Protecting one of Oxford's most iconic landmarks for generations to come. 🏛️
Over the past week, we have celebrated the extraordinary Green Templeton community through events, volunteering, competitions, challenges and fundraising for student support. It has been wonderful to see alumni, fellows, supporters, friends, staff and students coming together to show our support for students.

From the Garden Party and the Photography Competition, to the Memory Wall and Biscuit Decorating Competition, the week has been filled with moments that reflect the warmth, inclusivity and spirit of our college.

Thank you to everyone who made a gift, attended an event, volunteered their time or followed along throughout the week. Together, we have raised  over £65,000 for student support. These gifts will help students pursue opportunities, navigate financial pressures, participate fully in college life and thrive during their time at Oxford.

#ThankYou
#GivingWeek
#Fundraising
#StudentSupport
#Oxford
📸 Congratulations to Sophia Hall (MSc Medical Anthropology, 2025), winner of the Green Templeton College 2026 Photography Competition!

Sophia's reflection on Vincent captured perfectly the sense of belonging that so many people find at Green Templeton.

A huge thank you to everyone who entered the competition and to everyone who voted. Your support also helped unlock £1,000 of funding as part of our Community & Giving Week challenge!
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