Diversity of Perspective in the M.S. in Community Engaged Medicine

At Furman University, we value diversity in our education, and we seek to ensure our graduate cohorts contain various perspectives to generate an advantageous educational experience unique from other schools. Specifically, Furman’s Masters of Science in Community Engaged Medicine program has a strong desire to create a space that welcomes a broad range of experiences and perspectives. 

Dr. Rachael Bowers, the director of Furman’s Community Engaged Medicine program, says, “We welcome a diversity of perspectives. We’ve had students from quite a variety of majors: biology, health science, chemistry, language, philosophy, music, political science, and more.” Dr. Bowers believes that at Furman, the liberal arts and health pathways can be completely interconnected and that every major can be connected to health. This plethora of strengths and perspectives amongst the Community Engaged Medicine cohort creates a collaborative learning environment.

“Another student and I were able to fill in the gaps in areas we were lacking.” MSCEM alumni, Gabby Maiolo, says, “she (Patricia Greene) has a biology background, and I have a public health background, so it was helpful to have people from different experiences and schools.” 

Elaborating on Maiolo’s statement, Greene explains, “The wealth of health science, public health, and biomedical science backgrounds in the cohort provides a different experience you do not get in undergraduate courses because you’re only around people within your major.” Despite the students holding different backgrounds, everyone comes together for a common goal to bridge the gap between communication and medicine. 

One way students in the Community Engaged Medicine program get to dig deeper into their backgrounds is through a seminar instructed by Dr. Archino. The exercises performed in this seminar are used to help students understand how they perceive patients based on how they present themselves, which ultimately allows students to gain a thorough comprehension of biases they may have and how subjective experiences influence perception. 

 

Are you interested in a career in community engaged medicine?

Furman University’s Masters of Science in Community Engaged Medicine is a multi-disciplinary program that provides students with the required knowledge and skills in order to make an impact in diverse communities through public health. For more information about Furman University’s Masters of Science in Community Engaged Medicine program click HERE.