The Collegium Institute invites you to apply for the Spring 2024 Fellowship program in Medical Humanities. The program welcomes a small cohort of student fellows each semester to participate in a six-session luncheon discussion series held at the University of Pennsylvania.
The discussions will be facilitated by academic and clinical professionals including physicians, philosophers, psychologists, theologians, historians, journalists, and public policy specialists. Among the questions to be raised are: Why medical humanities? What are the core values of medical practice, and have they changed over time? What is wellness in a holistic sense? How can a profession focus on health and deal with death? And how can art and storytelling impact the patient experience? By the end of the fellowship, each participant will be guided to produce a one-page statement of their philosophy of clinical practice.
The 6 luncheon sessions will take place at the University of Pennsylvania on the following Wednesdays from 12:00pm–1:00pm:
January 31
February 14
February 28
March 13
April 10
April 24
Closing Reception: Tuesday, April 30
Spring 2024 Fellows
Mia Antonacci is a current Sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics with a minor in Bioethics. She aims to study the intersection of science and technology with law and policy. Mia also enjoys discussions around the moral and ethical considerations in fields like healthcare and innovation. She became interested in the non-clinical aspects of medicine while volunteering at a VA Hospital, which remains a cause she hopes to contribute more to in the future. On campus, she is involved with several political and policy-based clubs and serves as President of the Penn Political Union. She hopes to gain more insight into how to combine her diverse interests through thought and discussion.
Grace Edwards is a Junior in the School of Arts and Sciences, pursuing a Bachelor's of Arts in Health and Societies, with a concentration in Race, Gender, and Health, and a minor in Journalistic writing. As an aspiring health and medical professional, she is drawn to the intersection of health, medicine, sociology, and history. In her free time, she enjoys baking, being a plant auntie, and going on walks.
Felicia Ho is a first-year medical student at the Perelman School of Medicine. Originally from central New Jersey, she recently graduated from Harvard College with a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology. As much as she loves diving deep into the intricate molecular pathways of cell biology, Felicia chose to pursue medicine for the incredible opportunity to follow and contribute to diverse narratives—patient, caregiver, or physician—that are so critical to care.
Sreya Pattipati, originally from Arizona, is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, who is studying Health and Societies with a concentration in Public Heath and minoring in Sociology, Chemistry, and Religious Studies. Passionate about reducing health disparities, she understands the importance of the intersection between medicine and the humanities and is excited to explore them further.
Shahana Banerjee is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania studying Health and Societies. She has spent a lot of my education and career working to understand and build the interdisciplinary perspective and versatility of public health. Shahana is particularly interested in the policymaking aspect of American healthcare and also spends much of her time working with communities in West Philadelphia, contributing to her research projects to better understand disparities in healthcare access, quality, and affordability.
Michaela Flanders is a Master of Bioethics student at University of Pennsylvania and a Certification of Professional Achievement (CPA) student in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University. She is passionate about the power of the arts to expose timely ethical issues in the clinic, and focuses most of her work on the crossroads between psychiatry, institutions, and women's lives. Though she seems to accidentally acquire a new hobby every year, a few favorites include ballet, culinary arts, and traveling the world with her wife.
Millie Huang is a first-year medical student at the Perelman School of Medicine. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, she studied neuroscience & classics in undergrad. She is involved in research on palliative & end-of-life care and hopes to build a career that combines patient advocacy and the medical humanities.
Francesco Salamone is a sophomore at the Wharton School, studying ESG and Finance due to a genuine interest in the intersection of capital and social impact. He is originally from Sicily, Southern Italy where he witnessed first-hand how the inefficiency of the public sector can perpetuate economic stagnancy. This got him interested in business and public policy which he hopes to explore further in a wide range of industries and applications.
Max Brody is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania studying English (Literary Theory & Cultural Studies) with minors in Native and Indigenous Studies and chemistry. Originally from Oklahoma, he is particularly interested in Indigenous healthcare advocacy, critical theory, and narrative medicine. In his free time, Max loves to play cello, write poetry, and listen to his favorite jazz artist Laufey.
Valeria Bonomie Piñerua is a Junior studying Health and Societies with a concentration in Disease and Culture. She hopes to pursue a career in epidemiology, specifically concerning the determinants of LGBTQ+ health. Her other interests include comedy writing, film, and television.
Katherine Han is a senior ( E'24) majoring in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. She is interested in exploring the intersection between healthcare and engineering and its implications on the broader society. Alongside her role as a medical humanities fellow, she actively participates in oncology research at the Perelman School of Medicine, volunteers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and engages in teaching West Philadelphia high school students through the Education Pipeline Program at the Netter Center.
Maven Kielska is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, triple majoring in Health and Societies, History, and Gender Sexuality and Women’s Studies. They have concentrations in Race Gender and Health, World History, and Health and Disability, respectively. He is interested in the intersection of medicine and Queer studies through a historical lens.
Sanya Tinaikar is a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania and a prospective Health and Societies Major (Health Policy and Law) and Cognitive Science minor. She is a reader by nature, and by extension a writer, and thus is deeply interested in the intersection between medicine, the written word, and art, and how each can be used as a mechanism of healing. You can usually find her drinking tea or cartooning for friends and family.
Stepping up to the responsibility of translating at doctors' appointments since elementary, Jiamin Chen has superseded the role of mere translation into advocacy. Jiamin's journey is characterized by a commitment to bridging the gap between medical professionals and patients, recognizing the importance of holistic care that encompasses not only physical well-being but also the emotional and humanistic dimensions of health. An aspiring oncologist, Jiamin's interest extends to the profound psychological impact of a cancer diagnosis emphasizing the multifaceted realm of emotional resilience and mental fortitude.
William Han is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in Health & Societies and minoring in Chemistry in the Benjamin Franklin Scholars Program from Englewood Cliffs, NJ. His academic interests include community health, social determinants of health, healthcare disparities and he is eager to explore further the multifaceted aspects of health. William is also part of the Korean Student Association and Renewal College Fellowship on campus and loves to play sports with his friends including swimming and basketball.
Suraj Panara is a junior studying Health and Societies on the pre-medical track. He loves all things public health and healthcare, and has a deep interest in the connection between medicine and various disciplines within the humanities, whether that be psychology, philosophy, policy, history, or literature.
Chris Wooden (C ’24) is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania studying Health & Societies (concentration in Race, Gender, and Health) and Neuroscience. Her main interests in medicine lie in expanding access to healthcare, especially in immigrant populations. Outside of classes, Chris can be found engaging in clinical research at the Abramson Cancer Center, at one of the many events held by the Penn Philippine Association, or reading books with her cat.
If you have any questions about this fellowship, please visit https://collegiuminstitute.org/medical-humanities or contact Caroline Arnold at carnold@collegiuminstitute.org.