New Course in History of Medicine Begins Sept. 2

Free for Cedars-Sinai staff members and affiliates, courses will meet online Thursdays, 6-7:30 p.m. Attendees will connect with expert instructors to learn about and reflect upon the history of medicine and health sciences, and how the past informs the practice of medicine today.

"After the success of our first six-week course in June 2021, we are excited to be expanding our academic programs in the fall," said Leon Fine, MD, professor of Biomedical Sciences and Medicine, and co-director of the Program in the History of Medicine.

"Planned with Cedars-Sinai faculty, staff and clinicians in mind, our courses are intended to show how exciting, relevant and even liberating the history of medicine can be when taught at an academic medical center," added Gideon Manning, PhD, co-director of the Program in the History of Medicine.

Courses will address a range of topics, including the evolution of hospital-based healthcare, development of clinical ethics, history of pathology and history of pandemics, among others. Conducted in a lecture and discussion format, the courses feature extensive interaction with the instructors. They are meant to be accessible to everyone, and there are no assignments beyond short readings in preparation for class meetings.

Led by Assistant Professor Kirsten Moore-Sheeley, PhD, "Incurables to COVID-19: The Evolution of Cedars-Sinai as a Modern Hospital" will explore the history of Cedars-Sinai as a unique example of how medicine, and hospitals, more generally, have developed over time. Discussion will focus on the historical factors that have shaped the institution, as well as how Cedars-Sinai has impacted medical practice. The course will also consider the future of hospitals in the shadow of COVID-19, along with some of the immediate pressures and successes that will likely guide developments at Cedars-Sinai and in healthcare in the years ahead.

"I could not be more pleased to be teaching the history of Cedars-Sinai at a time when the institution is growing and adapting to rapidly shifting circumstances, just as it has effectively done for more than a century," said Moore-Sheeley, assistant professor of Biomedical Sciences. "This is also a wonderful opportunity to use the hospital’s historical conservancy's collection of documents and materials to illustrate some of Cedars-Sinai’s rich history and its place in Los Angeles."

The syllabus for "Incurables to COVID-19: The Evolution of Cedars-Sinai as a Modern Hospital" is available to view on the course web page.  In observance of Yom Kippur, the class meeting on Sept. 16 will be canceled.

Cedars-Sinai staff members and affiliates interested in Moore-Sheeley’s upcoming course can enroll by emailing historycourses@cshs.org. Please note that while the courses are free for Cedars-Sinai affiliates, they will be available to the public for a $250 fee. Although meetings will be recorded, at the conclusion of the six-week course participants who regularly attend the live meetings receive a certificate of completion.

These six-week courses are part of the expanding educational mission of Cedars-Sinai's Program in the History of Medicine—which is located in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. The program, which also sponsors a distinguished lecture series, biweekly speaker series, and is home to the Center for Medicine, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, investigates the evolution of medical knowledge and practice from antiquity to the present, and anticipates offering both diploma and master's programs in the future.

For more information about the courses, visit the course web page or contact historyofmedicine@cshs.org. To learn more about the Program in the History of Medicine, visit the Program in the History of Medicine website.