How is World History useful?

[Corgi]

So I need to take a couple World History courses as GEs. I guess I am looking for motivation to try in these courses, as I have 0 motivation right now and am dreading them.

How is World History Knowledge useful in the medical field?

Please do not say it is to "learn how to learn", because I would much rather "learn how to learn" in my science courses!

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[aldol16]

It's useful for being an informed citizen. History has a powerful way of explaining how the world is today, why certain connections and relationships are the way they are. And there's that age-old adage: those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it.

 

[DrPatrickStar]

I liked taking gen-eds because they were so different than taking a class like Orgo or biochem which require hours of studying daily. I would spend one or two days a week on these courses and it was such a nice relief. Think of it as a break from your science courses. These are potentially "freebie" courses that you can have fun with and even though you may not have the motivation to take it, just understand that these are the hoops you jump through to get through undergrad.

 

[deleted688779]

It might help you be a “better” or more informed person, which may contribute to you being a better applicant and doctor.

 

[BJoverTrapper]

I like to think of history as a way to look back on how far humanity has come. It’s easy to take for granted a lot of the freedoms and liberties we have today, and it’s important to know where we came from as people.

Plus there’s the cliche “Those who ignore history are bound to repeat it”

 

[stickgirl390]

If more physicians took an interest in world history, maybe some of them would become politicians and start making proper public health decisions...

 

[Reanimated Reapplicant]

If you really want to stretch this, understanding different cultures, say ones that are very hierarchical and show deference to elders, or ones that have had bad histories with medical exploitation, should inform the particulars of how your manner with a patient. How do you sell a helpful clinical trial to an older person that lost someone in the Holocaust? If a family's grandmother isn't in the room when you ask them to make an important medical decision, you're wasting your and their time, because she calls the shots.

 

[LizzyM]

Do you have any curiosity about the world? Just some random thoughts in no particular order: do you wonder why Brazilians speak Portuguese while most of the rest of the continent speaks Spanish, do you wonder why Spanish is one of the languages of the Philippines while English is the common language among many languages in India? Who colonized Australia and what has become of the people who lived there before the colonists arrived? Where was Rhodesia and what happened to it? Why did Germany and Japan form a coalition in the 1930s and what was their goal? How did that arrangement change the world? What happened in Europe during "The Black Death"? Why is it even called that? What was Queen Victoria's contribution to anesthesia in child birth? What is eugenics and when and where did it become a popular concept? How did it relate to the birth control movement of the early 20th century and the rise of the Third Reich in Germany in the 1930s. What role did physicians and other health care professionals play? How did the potato famine change Ireland as well as bring change to the US and Canada?
How did Darwin's work in the Galapagos Islands end up being discussed in a US courtroom? What was the outcome?

 

[Goro]

So I need to take a couple World History courses as GEs. I guess I am looking for motivation to try in these courses, as I have 0 motivation right now and am dreading them.

How is World History Knowledge useful in the medical field?

Please do not say it is to "learn how to learn", because I would much rather "learn how to learn" in my science courses!

Old Missouri saying: "If you want to know where you're going, you gotta know where you been"

For starters, try learning about the influence of disease upon human history.

BTW, not everything is about Medicine.

 

[deleted947265]

Because knowledge is like owning rabbits, the more you have, the easier it is to get a lot more. Your brain stores stuff by linking different concepts together in a stupid and irrational manner. So learn lots of stuff.

History might not directly apply to medicine, but the thinking you apply to learning history could definitely be helpful in learning medicine or solving some type of problem by having that knowledge. Also you really don't want to do 120 credits worth of science credits, you think you want that, you don't.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Current events used to be on the MCAT back in the 60s and 70s I believe. It was an attempt to ensure that physicians were well rounded people who could relate to patients and not just hard scientists. Learning world history might give you an idea how different governments impact their poplation. You are watching this in real time in america, and in other countries. Med schools are not looking for students who have spent 4byrs taking only science courses. Faculty meetings often have suggestions that students should have more Bio chem or immunology as pre requisites. I make the point that I'm not so concerned about what science course they have taken, it's our job to teach them. I have a liberal arts education and am not a very liberal person, but would not trade the experience.

 

[NITRAS]

Your biology or virology class has very little clinical relevance either.

Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try very hard. A good foundation in history should be a requisite for voting. . . (Only kinda joking)

Admittedly, I loved history. I have a minor in history. Mexican history, Russian history. All pretty interesting stuff. Frankly, I’m more likely to have an interesting talk with a medical student regarding their knowledge of history than their knowledge of clinical medicine.

 

[A_Knowbody]

Don't patients LOVE when the physician delves deep into the biochemical reaction pathways of their conditions or the mechanism of action of their medications? /s

Taking an interest in a variety of topics is relevant to building relationships with a diverse group of patients. As a general rule of thumb, most people aren't that interested in talking about science. Having interests and knowledge outside of medicine will help you connect with people and better understand the world around you.

 

[Mad Jack]

It's important in being a good person and citizen

 

[Raryn]

I find the knowledge I gained in my humanities courses more relevant to my day to day life (including medical practice) than the knowledge I gained in plant physiology, taxonomy, or half my other biology courses.

 

[Corgi]

Thank you all for you responses!