IDIS 173 History and Philosophy of Health and Healthcare

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Fall 2023 (Blended & Online), Winter 2024 (Online), Summer 2024 (Online)

Year 1 Core Course

10-11 hours/week

3 units

Available

On-Campus Course

Online Course

IDIS 173, History and Philosophy of Health and Healthcare, is a multidisciplinary course organized around five major fields of scientific endeavour in the BHSc program: anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, and population and global health. In each course module, we begin with the historical evolution of one of these subject areas and focus on the people, events and discoveries that have had the biggest impact on its development. Against this backdrop, we move to the present day where we encounter lively controversies within each field that invite us to think deeply about how technological innovations, social values and science interact.

*Previously BMED 173 History and Philosophy of Health and Healthcare

Prerequisites

None

Exclusions

PHIL 201/3.0

Learning Tracks

Global and Population Health

Learning Outcomes

After completing IDIS 173, students will be able to:

Describe and analyze important people, events and trends that have influenced the development of five core subjects in the BHSc program (anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, population and global health) in order to understand what role technological developments and social values play in the construction and application of science.
Understand different perspectives on controversial issues in contemporary health science fields in order to critically assess them.
Identify relevant sources and carry out research using traditional and web-based resources.

Competencies

Communicator
Scholar
Professional

Assessments

All assessments will be graded using marking rubrics.

Assessment 1 – Discussion Boards (25%)

In this course, you will have formal and informal opportunities for collaborative working, peer support and regular participation in a learning community. Each of you will be assigned to a tutorial group that will serve as your learning community for the semester. You and your fellow tutorial group members will communicate together using your tutorial group discussion board. Your tutorial participation will give you a chance to get to know your fellow students, deepen your understanding of course materials, hone your critical thinking and communication skills, and learn from others.

Each week, your tutorial group will receive a set of instructions to help guide your conversations. Discussion board tasks will be carried out with the assistance of your tutor. Over the semester, you are expected to make regular contributions to discussion board conversations and to participate in other planned activities. If you haven’t used a discussion board before, the experience can seem a bit strange at first. However, students quickly adapt and most report high satisfaction rates. Contributions to the discussion board don’t have to be formally structured, referenced and written in academic prose; as long as your contributions are clear, friendly and move the discussion along in a positive way, you are on the right track. Your tutorial group participation via discussions boards is worth 25% of your course grade. You will receive your grade at the end of the semester. Your grade will be determined on the basis of the criteria outlined in the discussion board.

Assessment 2 – Blog (75%)

Independent reading, thinking and writing are essential to your learning success in IDIS 173 and you will have your own personal blog to use as your assignment workspace — a place where you can complete assigned blog tasks, bring together threads of investigation, explore areas of uncertainty and pose questions in a safe environment. Because your assignments are located in one location, the blog will also serve as an ongoing record of your thinking and development over the course of the semester.

Time Commitment

10 hours a week (120 hours per term)

Textbooks and Materials

The main textbook for this course is: History of Medicine: A Scandalously Short Introduction (2^nd edition) by Jacalyn Duffin. There are three ways to purchase the textbook:

(Recommended) You can purchase a custom e-package containing the required textbook chapters for the course in a PDF format that can be annotated. The cost of the custom e-book is $17.95 (Canadian). You can purchase a custom electronic version through the University of Toronto Press Publishing. Note: If you purchase the electronic version, please download Adobe(R) Digital Editions and authorize with an AdobeID. Without authorizing your Adobe Digital Editions to an “AdobeID” your ebook will be locked to the 1 device it was downloaded to, it will not be transferable to another computer/device. For iPhone, iPad and Android devices download Bluefire Reader and authorize with your AdobeID to read. You can purchase the full textbook as a paper copy for $33.11 (Canadian) or an e-publication for $32.95 (Canadian) at the University of Toronto Press Publishing website.
You can purchase a hard copy of the textbook online through a commercial bookseller. If you choose this option, please place your order early to ensure that your textbook is delivered in time for module 2 (course week 3).

In addition to the core textbook readings, you will be assigned material from journal articles, news stories, videos and other internet media. Links to these free materials are provided in the course modules.

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