Writing and Humanities Program

Medicine is more than science—it’s a human experience shaped by storytelling, reflection, and creativity. The Writing and Humanities Program at the Carver College of Medicine embraces this idea by exploring the artistic and humanistic dimensions of medical education and practice. Through a critical, transdisciplinary approach, we highlight how the humanities and arts deepen our understanding of medicine, patient care, and professional identity.

Our program offers:

Elective courses and arts activities that allow medical students to engage with writing, literature, philosophy, history, visual arts, music, and performing arts. These experiences illuminate the role of creativity in medical education and practice.
The Humanities Distinction Track, which encourages, supports, and recognizes students who pursue scholarship in creative writing, social sciences, public policy, and other humanities-related fields.
One-on-one writing consultations to help students refine their work, whether it’s for scholarship applications, residency personal statements, CVs, research papers, abstracts, patient notes, presentations, correspondence, recommendations, or even creative writing projects.

By bridging medicine and the humanities, we empower future physicians to find their voice, craft compelling narratives, and cultivate a deeper connection to the art of healing. Whether you’re preparing for residency, writing for publication, or exploring your own creative expression, we’re here to help.

Camille Socarras, MA, Director
1-319-335-1682

David T. Etler, Support Staff
1-319-335-8058

The Short Coat Podcast: Exploring What Med Students are Becoming

The Writing and Humanities Program is proud to support The Short Coat Podcast, a show featuring the students of the Carver College of Medicine. For more, visit The Short Coat Podcast site.

Remember–you can send questions or feedback to theshortcoats@gmail.com! We love it!

Episodes from the Margins of Medicine

Sheriff of Sodium: AI Will Replace Doctors (Reality Check!)

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Docs are in denial, but the economic incentives make it inevitable. Meanwhile, you’re working hard to become a doctor — and now a bot might take your place? The Sheriff of Sodium, Dr. Brian Carmody, is back on the Short Coat to say what nobody wants to hear but might need to: yes, AI in medicine is real, and the value proposition makes docs’ replacement inevitable. From primary care AI to image-heavy fields like pathology, we’re talking actual use cases. We break down physician automation, the AMA’s waning influence, and why corporations – and even patients – might be the real force behind AI-driven doctor job loss. If you thought medical school guaranteed career security, this might shake your certainty. But there are specialties and human-only qualities that you can lean into for a bright future amidst the bots. Then the Sheriff, M3 Jeff Goddard, MD/PhD Miranda Schene, M2s Sarah Lowenberg and Taryn O’Brien pivot to a deeply personal listener question: should a pre-med student push through to med school while struggling with mental health, like her parents want her to? Or take time off to regroup?

How a Walk in the Park Sparked a Health Movement, ft. David Sabgir, MD

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Cardiologist David Sabgir was tired of telling patients to exercise, so he did something ridiculous…and it spawned a movement. Walk With A Doc began with a simple idea: don’t just recommend lifestyle changes—live them, with your patients, in the wild. In this episode, we unpack the surprising power of walking with a community instead of talking at patients about exercise, and how a one-mile stroll has turned into an international public health initiative. Co-hosts M3 Jeff Goddard, and M1s Sydney Skuodas, Michael Arrington, and Zach Grissom are also asking: what happens when docs and med students bring their kids, their real lives, and their full humanity into community care? For some, it could be a real antidote to burnout, and the solution might be hiding in the park—with some sneakers and your neighbors. The cardiologist that stared it all shares how failing at patient motivation led to something wildly more effective. This episode is your unofficial permission slip to stop recommending change and start doing it.

AI in Med School: Helpful Tool or Total Crutch?

Thursday, June 19, 2025

"How are you using AI in med school?" That’s the question Dave posed to his co-hosts this week. Near-M3s Fallon Jung and Amanda Litka and almost-PA3 Julie Vuong discuss AI-fueled study sessions, and Dave points out a Google tool that turns docs into knowledge. They talk about what helps, what haunts, and what might accidentally erase their clinical instincts. Meanwhile, Fallon admits to looking to a robot to plan a bachelorette party. Amanda wants to ditch the white coat. And strong mints and clementines are the secret to surviving 3AM bowel resections. Also on the docket: what they've learned in their first few months seeing patients, OB night shift scaries, and which specialist they'd rather be stranded on an island with. Listeners: do you use AI to get you through school? How? Sound off at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus!