BUT WAIT, AREN’T WE A LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTION? We absolutely are. And these enhancements aren’t at the exclusion of our liberal arts core. Indeed, they’re completely in harmony with it. That’s because, like all our disciplines, we look at not simply the facts you can learn (though those are important) but also how you can use that information to navigate the world. Liberal arts at Saint Ben’s means learning to think critically, advocate passionately and lead courageously. It means finding ways to challenge yourself, others and the status quo. It means acting with empathy and curiosity, listening not to respond but rather to understand. It means finding creative solutions and creating possibility in impossible situations. To us, that sounds like a darn good foundation for anyone in the health field. From developing compassionate bedside manner to innovating breakthroughs in the lab, and from finding new ways to reach and engage with underserved communities around the world to founding health care companies rooted in ethical problemsolving – this, and so much more, is all at the intersection of health sciences and liberal arts.
18 | College of Saint Benedict Magazine
PART OF OUR LEGACY Health programs have always been part of our heritage, including a renowned nursing program and dietetics program, and more recently a popular exercise and health science program. Over the last several years, students began expressing increasing interest in a broader range of health-focused opportunities. We also noticed more students taking coursework that would set them up for advanced degrees in medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, veterinary medicine, chiropractic medicine, pharmacy, dietetics and optometry. In response, we have long offered curated course loads that fulfill requirements for each of the above career fields. The best part: a student can major in music while preparing for medical school, or major in Spanish while preparing for vet school, or major in accounting while preparing for optometry school. You get the idea. The objective: gain a strong grounding (and applicable prerequisites) in the field of your choice while you explore and pursue your passions. The result: a career that’s enhanced by different contexts, perspectives, experiences and areas of expertise.
That’s how we end up with pharmacists who have an entrepreneurial spirit and the skills to match. Pediatricians who understand the principles of elementary education. Scientists who can write eloquently about their findings. The list goes on and on. Actually, let’s add one more to the list: physicians who identify an issue and make a diagnosis because of their art history studies. You might have been suspending your disbelief after reading the opening line of this piece, and that’s understandable. It feels like a stretch. But this is a real thing. Evidence suggests that studying art history in the pursuit of medicine can help practitioners pick up on nuanced nonverbal cues. Art doesn’t speak, but it certainly communicates. Patients aren’t always able to articulate what’s happening to them, either because they lack the language or training or simply because they’re uncomfortable. Imagine being able to sit with someone – even over video chat – and pick up on a nonverbal cue because you’ve been taught to examine a problem far beyond words or a medical chart or a printout of vitals. That capability is incredibly important, especially given the world’s skyrocketing reliance on digital medicine.
