United States History of Medicine

3 units

This course offers an overview of the history of medicine in the United States from contact to the present. We will not only look at the science of the disease, but the social and cultural impact of the experience for individuals, social groups, and political institutions. Epidemics we will discuss include: cholera, smallpox, tuberculosis, swine flu, polio, and HIV/Aids, to name a few. We will also explore the professionalism of doctors; competition from other medical practioners; the development of the hospital; changes in public health; the evolution of health insurance; and the emergence of chronic diseases. We will pay particular attention to issues of race, class and gender.